Give yourself a treat with this sticky feast of exotic kumquats and marmalade - you know you deserve it!
Ingredients
- 240g unsalted butter, softened
- 4 tbsp demerara sugar
- 150-200g kumquats, thickly sliced
- 200g golden caster sugar
- 3 heaped tbsp good orange marmalade
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 220g self-raising flour, sifted
- 50g ground almonds
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
Method
- 1. Grease and line a 23-25cm solid-bottomed cake tin, about 9cm deep, with non-stick baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Spread 20g of the butter over the base of the cake tin and scatter over the demerara sugar. Arrange the kumquat slices over the butter and sugar.
- 2. Using an electric mixer, cream the remaining butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the marmalade. Add the eggs, a little at a time, adding a few spoonfuls of flour with the last additions of egg to prevent curdling. When all the egg is incorporated, fold in the remaining sifted flour, a pinch of salt, ground almonds and orange zest. Then mix in enough orange juice to make a dropping consistency – a mixture that drops easily from a spoon when it is tapped on the edge of the bowl.
- 3. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin, spreading it over the layer of kumquats. Smooth the mixture until it is level, making a slight depression in the centre. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 50-60 minutes or until the top is springy to a light touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin. Serve cold as a tea cake, or warm with a dollop of whipped cream sharpened with crème fraîche or some Greek yogurt.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 575 kcals, 31.2g fat (16.7g saturated), 7.3g protein, 71g carbs, 50g sugar
Chef's tip
Sweet-sour kumquats are great cooked in this upside-down cake, as the sharpness of the fruit cuts through the tooth-achingly sweet sugar.