Quince poached with vermouth or white wine, vanilla and Meyer lemon make a pretty pink topping for a moist cake kissed with fresh ginger. A gluten-free, gum-free recipe.
I have a hard time letting go of summer produce come Fall, but fun fruits such as quince and persimmons help ease the transition. Quince are a member of the pome family along with apples and pears, and they look like a knobby combination of the two. Their flesh is pithy and must undergo a long, slow cook to be rendered edible. When they do, their flesh turns a delightful shade of pink, and their mysterious flavors get teased out.
Pomes are part of the rose family, which makes sense given the floral notes inherent in a quince. Smell one raw, and your nose will be rewarded with a musky perfume. I like to accentuate quince's flowery qualities, so here I paired it with vanilla, meyer lemon, and fresh ginger. Quince can work well with heavier spices, but I kept things light and bright for now, in accordance with our San Francisco Indian summer.
Since quince can be a bit tough to handle, I like to do as little as possible to them when raw. A T-shaped vegetable peeler makes quick work of their skin. Then I simply lop each one in half, leaving in the seeds which add flavor, and simmer them in a not-too-sweet syrup until they're tender, which takes the better part of two hours.
I've made the quince both with white wine (sauvignon blanc) and with a dry, white vermouth made locally by Sutton Cellars. Sutton Cellars vermouth is fortified with brandy and flavored with 17 botanicals, including orange, chamomile and rosemary. The quince made with this were nothing short of intoxicating. But the white wine version were nice, too, and they worked just fine in the cake.
I had some Meyer lemons given to me by Sarah, and they, along with the vermouth, added beguiling flavor to the quince. In fact, one of my favorite parts was piling the candied peel on a cracker with goat cheese – heaven! (Note to self: make Meyer lemon and quince marmalade.)
Here are some other uses for this odd fruit that I'm dreaming of:
-Poached, chopped, and mixed with apples in a pie or crisp
-Cooked down into the Spanish fruit paste called membrillo, and served with manchego cheese
-Poached, chopped, and suspended in a fritter batter, fried, and dredged in cardamom sugar
-Simmered with citrus fruits into a fragrant marmalade
-Cooked into a chunky jam to eat with yogurt, or bake into a jam tart or crumble bars
-Deborah Madison has several recipes in her book Local Flavors that I've been meaning to try, including a savory-sweet goat cheese tart with walnuts, and a quince mince pie
This cake is a pretty straightforward way to get a quince fix. Look for these unusual fruits at farmers markets or specialty stores. I found some both at the Berkeley Tuesday market and at our awesome co-op.
What do you like to do with quince? Please let me know in the comments below, with links if you've got 'em!
More Quince Recipes:
- Apple, Quince+ Buckwheat Tart {Gluten-Free}
- Roasted Quince and Apple Turnovers
- Gluten Free Apple Pie with Spiced Poached Quince
*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this gluten-free quince upside down cake recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Ginger, Vanilla+ Quince Upside-Down Cake {Gluten-Free}
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
For the quince:
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 small (or 1/2 a large)lemon (preferably Meyer)
- 4 cups water, plus more as needed (950 mL)
- 1 cup dry white vermouth, white wine, or Lillet (235 mL)
- 1/2 cup organic blonde cane sugar (3.5 ounces / 100 grams)
- 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 pounds quince (3 large or 6 small) (680-800 grams)
For the cake:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus 1 tablespoon for the pan (4 ounces / 115 grams)
- 1/2 cup organic blonde cane sugar (3.5 ounces / 100 grams)
- vanilla bean seeds (from above)
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger (1 ounce / 30 grams)
- 1/2 cup sweet white rice flour (2.75 / 80 grams)
- 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour (2 ounces / 60 grams)
- 1/2 cup millet flour (or sorghum, or brown rice) (2.5 ounces / 70 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche (4 ounces / 115 grams)
Instructions
Poach the quince:
- Split the vanilla bean down the center and use the back of a knife to scrape away the seeds. Set the seeds aside to use in the cake, and place the pod in a large saucepan. Use a vegetable peeler (t-shaped works the besto pare away 5 strips of lemon peel and add them to the pot. Juice the lemon and add the juice to the pot along with the water, vermouth or wine, and sugar. Bring the liquid to a boil while you prepare the quince.
- Use a t-shaped vegetable peeler to pare away the skin of a quince. Cut it in half, leaving the seeds in, and add it to the pot. Continue with the remaining quince. Place a small, heat-proof plate over the quince to keep them submerged, cover partially with the lid of the pot, and adjust the flame to keep the liquid at a simmer. Cook until the quince are rosy and tender, about 1 1/2 hours, adding more water as needed to keep the quince submerged. When done, carefully remove the quince and let them drain, reserving the liquid (or let the quince cool in their juices if using later.) Core the quinces and cut them into 1/4" slices.
- Return the poaching liquid to the saucepan and simmer until reduced by about half and bubbling thickly, about 10-20 minutes. Reserve.
Make the cake:
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350º.
- Shove a piece of parchment paper into an 8 or 9" round pan and trim the edges to rise 1" above the pan. Grease the bottom and sides with the 1 T of softened butter. Lay the quince slices, slightly overlapping, in concentric circles over the buttered parchment and set aside. If you have quince left over, chop them coarsely and set them aside to add to the batter. (I had about 1/2 a cup.)
Make the cake batter:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl fitted with your arm and a wooden spoon), combine the stick of butter, vanilla bean seeds, and sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, then beat in the grated ginger.
- Meanwhile, sift the sweet rice, oat, and millet flours with the baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.
- With the mixer on low, stir half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined. Stir in the crème fraîche until just combined, then the rest of the flour, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Stir in the chopped quince, if using, and give the batter a final stir by hand to make sure it is well-combined.
- Spread the batter over the quinces evenly.
- Bake the cake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, or a with a few moist crumbs, 40-50 minutes. Let the cake cool completely, then invert onto a serving platter and peel away the parchment. If the reduced poaching liquid has solidified, warm it in a small saucepan until liquid. Brush some of this glaze over the top of the cake. Serve the cake at room temperature. I like it with a flowery tea, such as Darjeeling. Extras will keep at room temperature for a day or two, or in the refrigerator for a few days.
Notes
Nutrition
More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes:
- Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
- Gluten-Free Apple Cake
- Gluten-Free Blueberry Coffeecake
- Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
- Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake {all-natural}
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Gluten-Free Banana Cake with Chocolate Ganache
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Gluten-Free Pound Cake with Lemon and Berries
- Gluten-Free Pear Cake with Chai Spices
- Gluten-Free Peach Cake
- Gluten-Free Plum Cake
- Gluten-Free Lemon Almond Cake
Katherine says
First! Oh, sorry that's a holdover from the PDub days ;) Beautiful.. and as I am heading out grocery shopping may look for some quince. I owe my neighbors a housewarming gift anyway...
Alanna says
Ha! Oh I hope you found some!
Ksenia @ At the Immigrant's Table says
Quinces are common in Middle Eastern and Mizrahi Jewish cooking, and I am a big fan of their floral scent and the texture that they beautifully maintain, no matter what prep you subject them to. I cook them into a thick, chunky jam, as you've mentioned, but I would be happy to try this beautiful, rosey cake as well. Now, I will scour the Montreal farmers' markets in search of quince! Thanks for the inspiration.
Alanna says
I didn't know that! Your quince preserve looks perfect - I hope to try it!
myriam / rhubarb! rhubarb! rhubarb! says
the fruit photos are just stunning. what a unique cake!
Alanna says
Aw, thanks lady!!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
What a creation! You know, I've never tried quince before! This cake sounds like the exact thing I need to make to try it :)
Alanna says
Thanks! I think they will blow you away, Katrina - they're pretty special. :)
Sarah @ Snixy Kitchen says
This cake turned out even prettier than I imagined. It was such a joy to watch the ease with which you made and photographed this cake. Next year when our quince tree actually has fruit, I'll be sure to send you a bag with your meyer lemons.
Alanna says
Aw! Thank you Miss Sarah - It was a pleasure hosting you here. :)
Sue/the view from great island says
And to think I passed up the quince at the farmer's market last week, this post is stunning, and the color of that fruit is killing me...
Alanna says
Thanks Sue! It never fails to surprise me when it turns pink. I hope some more come your way. :)
jaime : the briny says
i don't even think i've ever seen a quince in person! you've got me so curious. i love meyer lemon and the pairing of lemon + vanilla is one of my favorites. this quincey cake is so lovely.
ohh and that membrillo sounds incredible!
Alanna says
I think you will totally dig quince! Thanks so much for the kind words, Jaime. :)
rovinglights says
I love fruity cakes. I need that moistness. The top reminds me of fish scales. It looks so beautiful. I'm not sure where I'm going to get hold of the quinces but I definitely want to give this a go.
Alanna says
Fish scales! Totally. :)
Kimberly/TheLittlePlantation says
It sounds like you chose a very worthy winner!
This cake looks beautiful. Thanks for sharing your baking and photographic talents.
All the best.
Alanna says
Thanks, Kimberly!
Sini says
I still have 3 quinces waiting for their destiny in a bowl on my living room table. Originally, I planned to make a small batch of membrillo but now I'm debating with myself whether I should make this cake instead... What a lovely post, Alanna! Very helpful notes on quinces and great ideas on how to use them. I'm new to this odd fruit as they're not very often sold here in Scandinavia (the quinces I have are from my recent trip to Munich) but would love to get to know them better!
Alanna says
I can't wait to hear what you ended up doing with them. Thank you so much for the kind words, dear friend!
AmandaPaa says
I love the winner of the giveaway's story about butternut! So memory evoking. Very cool. This upside down cake sounds amazing, every part of it. We aren't able to get our hands on quince very often in Minnesota, but if I do, I will be trying this. xo
Alanna says
I know - so sweet, right? Thanks so much for the kind words, Amanda!
Christine says
What a lovely cake! It looks like it has such a great texture, I'm so impressed :) I've never tried quince but noticed some at the shop the other day - I may need to pop back in to pick some up because your description makes them sound irresistible!
Alanna says
Thank you Christine! I was quite pleased with the texture. I highly recommend giving quince a chance - they're so unique.
Nik Sharma says
OMG, Alanna, this quince cake is a beauty! I've been tempted to try and upside down cake but I am always nervous about getting the cake to release.
Alanna says
Totally! I took a cue from Green Kitchen Stories and shoved buttered parchment into the pan, which made releasing it a breeze. Highly recommended. :)
sophie says
What a beautiful cake, love the pink color of the poached quince, and the pictures of the raw quince - amazing, as usual! I just started experimenting with them and ended up with a savoury tart - luckily the quince were much easier to work with than I thought...
Alanna says
Aw, thank you Sophie. Your tart is stunning!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Miranda | Miranda's Notebook says
You have the most beautiful blog! I just love your photographs, and the recipes look delicious. This cake looks amazing. I adore quince.
Alanna says
Aw! Thank you for saying so!
Jules says
I have to agree with many of the previous comments, I don't only adore the recipes you post but the photography and food styling is simply great. Congrats
Jules.- thekiwidiaries.com
Alanna says
Aw! Thank you so much Jules. <3
todd wagner says
Been dying to incorporate quince into a drink. Tis the season! Upside cakes are always so freaking beautiful..
Alanna says
YES PLEASE!
Tina @ Just Putzing Around the Kitchen says
I've never seen/eaten a quince, but your cake makes them look super delish :D
Alanna says
Thanks girl!!
Valentina Duracinsky says
WOW. This looks delicious! So so so good. Saving the recipe!
Valentina
Valentina Duracinsky Blog
Alanna says
Thanks Valentina!
Carla (@charliesue) says
As always, your photos are just stunning. The flavor description of this cake is outstanding and I'm seriously blown away. MAN. :)
Alanna says
Awww! Thanks so much Carla. <3
Pang @circahappy says
Love all your beautiful shots as always, Alanna and even more so for your cake. My father-in-law loves pineapple version, but I think he will like yours even more if only I could do it as pretty as yours. Oh well :P
Miss you & SF.
Alanna says
That's so funny because this quince variety is called pineapple quince! They have a very tropical scent. So he'd probably like this version, too. When are you coming back?!
london bakes says
What a beauty of a cake and I love your enthusiasm for quince; it's such a sadly underused fruit I find. I normally just have it poached or roasted with yoghurt but this is such an inspiration to find new ways to cook and bake with it. The flavours in this are just spot on.
Alanna says
Thanks so much Kathryn - I'm glad you understand. I made some compote with my leftover quince and I'll have to try adding it to yogurt - brilliant.
Mély says
Hello ♡
What a beautiful cake !
I love quince, even if there aren't well known in France.
One of my favorite recipe to eat them is in a crumble (here is the recipe I made 3 years ago : http://www.chaudron-pastel.fr/2012/01/18/cumulus-tranches-soleil-pluie-vanillee-crumble-coings-vegan/ )
The crumble is vegan (coconut oil, coconut sugar & rice flour), and the quince are cooked just as you did in this recipe (I just added some vanilla pod ♥).
Have a beautiful week-end Alanna
Alanna says
That crumble looks fantastic - what a great idea. Thanks Mely!!
Ana says
In my family, we turn our quinces into quince paste - perfect for snacking with some nice cheese and bread. (Recipe here: http://www.hungrycook.com/2010/10/28/quince-into-candy/)
I've also made quince jam before, and mixed some quince in when making apple sauce for an extra fragrant batch. Yum!
Alanna says
Oooh, those both look like fabulous recipes - thank you!!
Anonymous says
looks beautiful! do you think i can just use normal flour? like 1 1/2 cups of it?
Alanna says
I think that should probably work! Please come back and let me know how it turns out!
Ankita Gupta says
Hi Alanna, hope you are doing great! I cant wait to try awesome and drooling deliciously looking from your book, I had a question, which millet flour should i take! Pearl millet or finger millet? Thanks!
With love,
Ankita
Alanna says
Great question! I use Bob's Red Mill brand, but I'm not sure which kind that is...
Ankita Gupta says
Oh! Okey, Actually I got a bitter aftertaste when I used finger millet flour, so I realized I might be experimenting with a wrong one! will try out with other options, as u suggested! 😘 Thank you for this, Alanna! ❤
Alanna says
Interesting! Bob's millet flour does have a bit of a bitter aftertaste, too, which is why I always blend it with sweeter flours. Let me know what you end up trying!
Ankita Gupta says
Hi Alanna, hope you are doing great! I cant wait to try awesome and drooling deliciously looking desserts from your book, I had a question, which millet flour should i take! Pearl millet or finger millet? Thanks!
With love,
Ankita
Sara Krohn says
I found a recipe for Dulce de Membrillo. And then it goes into Pasta frola crust with raspberry jam and bits of pineapple to become "Pasta Frola de Dulce de Membrillo Quince Tart Recipe." It's on a site called 'the spruce.' The only recipe I can find for quince with no sugar is a mix into apple sauce. The tart would be fantastic for a party.