Orange Syrup & Kumquat Ring Cake

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Orange Syrup & Kumquat Ring Cake

Teatime!

Orange Syrup & Kumquat Cake – Overhead View

For those with serious & unrepentant, citrus squared addictions similar to mine. This recipe is all about oranges, Navels or Valencia’s, to be precise. Deep, somewhat spicy, and supported with the unique aroma and flavours of kumquats, all smoothed into harmonious cooperation with cream in the batter.

The formative part (and quite a bit more) of my youth transpired in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Back yonder days; the Eastern Cape was not exactly a high profile region nor a prime vacation destination. In fact, it was somewhat of a forgotten corner – maybe that’s one of the reasons why so many political activists sprang forth from it. However, it was (and still is) a prime citrus and sheep (both meat and wool) producing area with the best citrus being exported and it’s uniquely flavoured mutton & lamb lusted over country wide.

Quaint little towns with peculiar names such as Patensie, Addo and Hankey were immersed in oceans of deep green citrus orchards reaching placidly for the horizon. Sometimes the wind would be gusty and ornery, combing those orchards into living, ever varying tapestries of random slashes deep and olive green – a grand, invisible brush bending all before it’s inexorable will, quite similar to Life.

Orange Syrup & Kumquat Cake Slices – Close-up, Side-on View

At harvest, countless orange stars scintillated more numerous amidst the deep green than silver points sparkle against the infinite night time sky. Ever peeled a fresh as fresh can be, sun drunk orange at midday; ripe citrus oil spraying against your skin, over your work shirt and into your soul, with blood warm juice running through your fingers, over your wrists and down your forearms? Those are the brief, sacred little moments that viscerally remind us of the joy of being alive.

Yet the most enchanting period in the great cycle that is an orange orchard, is when the blooms open. True heavenly bliss to gladly drown in the gentle, soothing vastness of uncountable citrus blossoms at dusk. Sometimes it was as if the surrounding countryside took a quiet, relaxing sundowner for a short while, immersed in that bottomless aroma, all at peace with the Universe. Truly enthralling times, those were.

The orchards are still there, probably larger than before, but I understand the towns are not so quaint any more. The seasons have changed.

ORANGE SYRUP & KUMQUAT RING CAKE

– PRINT RECIPE –

Recipe yields:

10 - 12 Slices

Preparation time:

± 25 minutes

Baking time:

45 min

Difficulty level:

Easy

Special Equipment Required:

1 x 23cm ring pan, or

1 x 1.4L loaf tin (22cm x 11cm x 6cm)

1 x Old style, long tined fork – one of those granny still used at her Sunday Lunch table.

Ingredients:

For the ring cake:
Butter or full fat margarine, cut into cubes	150g
Caster sugar	100g
Orange peel, grated very fine	30ml
Ground coriander	7.5ml
Fine black pepper	0.5ml
Eggs, extra large, thoroughly combined	3

Cake flour / General purpose flour	350g
Baking powder	7.5mL
Salt	2.5mL
Full cream milk, room temperature	250mL
Fresh cream, room temperature	150ml
Kumquat preserves or Sweet Orange marmalade	100g

For the syrup:
Pure orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed	150mL
Brown sugar	50g
Cardamom pods, crushed	5

Method:

For the cake:

Cream the butter or margarine, sugar, orange peel, coriander and pepper thoroughly together. The fat will not contain enough moisture to fully absorb the sugar. Add small increments of egg until the fat, sugar and other ingredients combine into a smooth mixture.
Add the remaining egg and beat until light and creamy.
Combine the milk, cream and kumquat preserves (or marmalade). Mix well.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
Add the flour and milk mixtures in two alternating batches, to the creamed fat and sugar mixture. Combine with a spatula in gentle, figure eight motions until just combined into a soft, moist batter. Add a little extra milk if the batter seems too dry. Be carefull of overmixing.
Scrape the batter into a thoroughly greased ring cake pan or loaf tin. Smooth it on top with a spatula and drag a deep furrow into the batter along its length to prevent the cake from bursting open on top during baking.
Bake 40 – 45 minutes at 165°C (330° Fahrenheit) in a pre-heated convection oven, or 50 – 55 minutes at 180°C (365° Fahrenheit) – one third from the top – in a normal, static oven. Test with a bamboo skewer or metal testing pin. The cake will draw away only slightly from the sides of the pan when ready, making this an unreliable indicator for doneness.
Remove from the oven and immediately prick the cake deeply all over with the fork. Pour the boiling hot syrup carefully, and evenly, over the hot cake until everything is absorbed.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan to room temperature. Carefully loosen the sides with a thin spatula or thin bladed kitchen utility knife. Place a serving platter on top and invert. Carefully remove the ring pan, decorate and serve.

For the syrup:

Combine the juice, sugar and cardamom in a small sauce pan. Heat, with frequent stirring, until boiling.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
Pour the boiling hot syrup evenly over the oven hot cake.
Remove any cardamom pods that may have ended up on top of the cake.

Comments:

Arrange, if possible, to have all ingredients at room temperature before starting on the cake.
Grease the cake tin very well. This cake combines a high sugar load with cream, a combination that loves to stick to even non-stick cake tins or loaf pans.
Serve with a high quality Earl Grey tea, no sugar & milk. The astringency of black Earl Grey cuts directly through the cake’s richness for some appearance at balance. Non-sweetened lemon flavoured (or infused) tea will also work.