4 cups (950 ml) water, plus more as needed
1 cup (235 ml) dry white wine
¾ cup (125 g) organic granulated cane sugar
1¾ lb (800 g) quince (about 3 large or 6 small)
CAKE
8 tbsp (113 g) unsalted butter, softened, plus
2 tsp (10 g) for the pan
Vanilla bean seeds (from above)
½ cup (100 g) organic granulated cane sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tbsp (30 g) finely grated, packed fresh ginger
½ cup (80 g) sweet white rice flour
½ cup (65 g) millet flour
½ cup (55 g) GF oat flour
1½ tsp (6 g) baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine sea salt
½ cup plus 2 tbsp (150 g) Crème Fraîche
To poach the quinces, 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 best) to pare away the lemon peel and add to the pot. Juice the lemon and add the juice to the pot along with the water, wine and sugar. Bring the liquid to a boil while you prepare the quinces.
Use a T-shaped vegetable peeler to pare away the skin of each quince. Cut it in half, leaving the seeds in for now, and add it to the pot. Continue with the remaining quinces. Place a small, heatproof plate (or round of parchment paper cut to fit) over the quinces to keep them submerged, cover partially with the lid of the pot and adjust the heat to keep the liquid at a simmer. Cook until the quinces are rosy and tender, about 1½ hours, adding more water as needed to keep the quinces submerged. When done, carefully remove the quinces and let them drain, reserving the liquid (or let the quinces cool in their juices if using later). Cut the cores, stems and blossoms from the quinces and cut them into ¼-inch (6-mm) thick slices, then chop some of the slices into ½ cup (75 g) chunks (these will get stirred into the batter).
Return the poaching liquid to the saucepan and simmer until reduced by about half and bubbling thickly, 10–20 minutes. Reserve.
To make the cake, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).
Grease an 8- or 9-inch (20- or 23-cm) round cake pan with some of the 2 teaspoons (10 g) softened butter and line with a round of parchment cut to fit. Butter the parchment. Lay the quince slices, slightly overlapping, in concentric circles over the buttered parchment and set aside.
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 remaining 8 tablespoons (113 g) 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, millet and oat flours with the baking powder, baking soda 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 and give the batter a final stir by hand to make sure it is well combined. Gently spread the batter over the quinces.
Bake the cake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, 40–50 minutes. Let the cake cool completely, then invert onto a serving platter and gently 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 with a dollop of cream, if you like. Extras will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated airtight for up to 3 days.
VARIATION: GINGER PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
Omit the quinces and poaching liquid. Place 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter in the prepared pan and place in the oven to melt, 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle ¼ cup (50 g) packed organic light or dark brown sugar and a big pinch of salt evenly over the melted butter. Peel and core 3 large ripe but firm pears (1¼ pounds [565 g]) and slice lengthwise into ¼-inch (6-mm) slices. Chop enough of the slices to make ½ cup (75 g) pear chunks. Fan the slices over the brown sugar, overlapping slightly in concentric circles, and fold the pear chunks into the batter. Proceed with the recipe, turning out the cake while still warm. Optionally, drizzle the top of the cake with any variation of Salty Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce.
TWO-PERSIMMON LAYER CAKE WITH VANILLA BOURBON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
{ALMOND, SWEET RICE, MILLET, OAT}
Persimmons rarely get the love they deserve, particularly the oblong variety (Hachiya), which must be squishy-ripe to lose astringency and burst with soft, sweet flesh. This cake makes use of both Hachiyas, which get pureed into a gently spiced batter full of nubby almond flour, and Fuyus, which crown the layers in electric orange cubes. A bourbon-infused vanilla cream cheese frosting makes this a unique cake for the winter holidays. Baking the cake in a 6-inch (15-cm) pan gives you a petite cake with three layers, pictured here. Alternatively, make an 8-inch (20-cm) cake with two shorter layers, or try the cupcake variation on.
MAKES ONE 6-INCH (15-CM) CAKE WITH 3 LAYERS OR ONE 8-INCH (20-CM) CAKE WITH 2 LAYERS, 8–10 SERVES
CAKE
½ cup (60 g) blanched almond flour
½ cup (80 g) sweet white rice flour
½ cup (75 g) millet flour
½ cup (55 g) GF oat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp fine sea salt
8 tbsp (113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup (100 g) packed organic light or dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (235 ml) Hachiya persimmon puree (see Note)
FROSTING AND FILLING
8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (85 g) powdered sugar
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of fine sea salt
2 tbsp (30 ml) bourbon or GF whiskey (such as Queen Jennie) (or a squeeze of lemon juice)
2 large Fuyu persimmons, ripe but firm A squeeze of lemon juice
VARIATION:
TWO-PERSIMMON CUPCAKES
Divide the batter among 12 muffin cups fitted with paper liners. Bake for 28–32 minutes. Let cool. When ready to serve, spread or pipe with the frosting and sprinkle with the diced Fuyus.
To make the cake, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line a 6-inch (15-cm) round cake pan with 2-inch (5-cm) sides with a round of parchment paper cut to fit. Cut a 4-inch (10-cm) wide strip of parchment paper that’s longer than the circumference of the pan and use it to make a collar around the inside of the pan (this will keep the batter from overflowing as it bakes and make the cake easier to unmold). You can skip the collar if baking this in an 8-inch (20-cm) pan.
Place a strainer over a medium bowl and add the almond, sweet rice, oat and millet flours along with the baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl, adding back in any bits that get caught in the strainer.
Combine the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. With the mixer on low, beat in a third of the flour mixture until combined. Beat in half of the persimmon puree until combined. Repeat until you’ve added everything.
In a separate, clean bowl, use a whisk to whip the egg whites until they hold firm peaks when the whisk is lifted out of the bowl. (Hint: This is easier if they’r
e at room temperature. You can also do this in a clean bowl for your stand mixer with the whip attachment.) As soon as the whites are whipped, stir a third of them into the cake batter. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites until no streaks remain.
Scrape the cake batter into the prepared cake pan (don’t forget the parchment collar if using a 6-inch [15-cm] pan!). Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 60–75 minutes for a 6-inch (15-cm) pan and 50 minutes for an 8-inch (20-cm) pan. Let the cake cool completely in the pan, about 2 hours.
When the cake is cool, us a small offset spatula or butter knife to loosen the edges and bottom from the pan. Invert it into your hand, and pry off the pan. Remove the parchment collar and bottom and discard. Place the cake upright on a board, plate or cake stand (if you have one that rotates, bonus points!). Use a large, serrated knife to trim the top of the cake flat. Mark the cake horizontally into even thirds. With your palm on the top of the cake and the knife held parallel to the work surface, use a sawing motion to cut the cake into thirds as you rotate it, taking care to make the layers as even as possible.
To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla seeds and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Be careful not to overbeat, or the mixture could break and become grainy or liquidy. Add the bourbon and beat to incorporate. (Mine always becomes slightly grainy at this point due to the low amount of powdered sugar, but I find that preferable to being too sweet.) The frosting can be covered and kept at cool room temperature for up to a few hours.
For the filling, slice the tops off the Fuyu persimmons and cut them into an even dice about ¼-inch (6-mm) square or a little larger. Place in a small bowl and toss with a squeeze of lemon juice to keep them from oxidizing.
To assemble the cake, place the bottom cake layer on a fresh round of parchment paper or small plate. Lay the other layers on a clean surface. Divide the frosting among the three layers. Starting with the bottom layer, smooth the frosting over the surface, taking it almost to the edge. Top with about a quarter of the diced persimmon, and press the persimmons into the frosting. Top with a second cake layer. Repeat this process, using the remaining half of the diced persimmon to top the cake.
Serve immediately, or, for the cleanest slices, chill the cake for at least 1 hour. The cake is best at room temperature when the butter in the cake and frosting have softened, so let individual slices come to room temperature before enjoying for best results.
The cake is best on the day of baking, but it will keep refrigerated (ideally in a cake dome or large, inverted container) for up to 3 days.
NOTES
• To make the Hachiya persimmon puree, make sure your Hachiya persimmons are so squishy-ripe that they feel like water balloons about to burst. I let mine ripen on the counter for at least a week or two, stem side down to protect their delicate bottoms, transferring them to a container in the refrigerator as they ripen. They’ll keep there for up to a week. When ready to bake, cut the blossom off the persimmon, squeeze out the jellylike flesh into a mesh strainer placed over a large bowl, and use a flexible silicone spatula to work the flesh through. It will be the consistency of a runny jelly. This puree can also be frozen to use later.
• If you or your cake eaters are sensitive to trace amounts of gluten, be sure to use a certified GF spirit such as Queen Jennie whiskey, or a GF rum or brandy. Otherwise, I like Bulleit bourbon here.
PETITE BLOOD ORANGE CORNMEAL URSIDE-DOWN CAKE
{CORN, SWEET RICE, OAT}
My best friend and I spent our junior year of college studying in Bologna, Italy, at one of the oldest universities in the world. Having lived our whole lives in mild California, and having spent only a couple of summers in Italy, we were in for a rude awakening when the weather turned gray and icy from October all the way through April. Thank goodness for Prosecco, gelati and blood oranges, called aranci tarocchi. That winter, we would buy up the ruby-hued fruits in abundance at the open-air markets (on the rare occasion that it wasn’t raining). After simple, homemade dinners of risotto or pasta, we would sit at the table peeling and eating the oranges, admiring their bright flesh that whispered of the colorful sunsets we hoped to see again someday.
Here, blood orange rounds are bathed in honey butter and baked beneath a sturdy cake flecked with cornmeal to soak up the fruit’s copious red juices. When turned out, the sunny topping reminds me a little of pineapple upside-down cake, only more brightly hued. Serve wedges of cake at room temperature with a cup of tea on a wintry afternoon when you’re longing for sunnier days. It will help. This makes a petite 6-inch (15-cm) cake, but the recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9-inch (23-cm) round cake pan, increasing the bake time as needed.
MAKES ONE 6-INCH (15-CM) ROUND CAKE, 6 SERVINGS
TOPPING
1½ tbsp (21 g) unsalted butter, in a few pieces, plus 1 tsp for greasing the pan
2 tbsp (30 ml) honey
1 lb (450 g) blood oranges (about 4 medium)
CAKE
4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup (50 g) organic granulated cane sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) honey, plus more for drizzling
1 tsp finely grated zest from 1 blood orange (above)
Finely grated zest from ½ large lemon (preferably Meyer)
1 large egg, at room temperature
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp (55 g) yellow cornmeal (NOT polenta)
¼ cup (60 g) Crème Fraîche or sour cream
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp (55 g) sweet white rice flour
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp (35 g) GF oat flour
1 tsp baking powder
⅜ tsp fine sea salt
¼ cup or a little more (60 g) chopped blood oranges, from above
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 6-inch (15-cm) round baking pan with 2-inch (5-cm) sides with the 1 teaspoon butter and line the bottom with a 6-inch (15-cm) round of parchment paper. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment for easy cleanup and to catch drips.
To make the topping, place the butter and honey in the pan and put it in the oven to melt together, 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, zest 1 blood orange and set the zest aside to use in the batter. Use a sharp paring knife to slice ¼ inch (6 mm) off the top and bottom of each blood orange. Place cut side down, and, following the curve of the orange, cut away the peel and white pith. Cut the orange crosswise into thin rounds roughly ¼-inch (6-mm) thick. Repeat with the remaining oranges.
Using the larger rounds, lay the orange slices over the buttery honey in concentric circles, starting from the outside and overlapping the slices slightly. Fill in the center with a few more slices. Cut any remaining slices into small chunks and reserve for the cake batter (you should have roughly ¼ cup [60 g]).
To make the cake, 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), beat together the softened butter, sugar, honey and blood orange and lemon zests on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg, then the cornmeal, then the crème fraîche, stirring until smooth after each addition. (The mixture may look curdled; this is okay.)
Place a mesh strainer over the bowl and sift in the sweet rice and oat flours along with the baking powder and salt. Stir to combine well, then gently fold in the chopped blood oranges.
Dollop the batter over the blood orange slices in the pan, and spread it gently and evenly. Bake the cake until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out completely clean, 35–45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use a small, offset spatula or thin knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Invert a plate or small cake stand over the pan, and, wearing oven mitts, flip the whole thing over. Remove the cake pan and gently peel away the parchment.
Let the cake cool
to warm, 20 minutes, then drizzle the top with more honey. Cut into wedges and serve slightly warm or at room temperature. The cake is best shortly after baking, but leftovers will keep at room temperature for an additional day, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
VARIATION: PETITE TANGERINE CORNMEAL UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
Omit the blood oranges, using 1 pound (450 g) tangerines or mandarins such as satsumas or clementines (about 4 large) in their place.
NOTE: I prefer the finer grind of Arrowhead Mills’ cornmeal here to Bob’s Red Mill’s coarser GF cornmeal. If that’s what you’ve got, break it up in a coffee grinder before measuring.
VANILLA BEAN CUPCAKES WITH KUMQUAT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
{SWEET RICE, OAT, MILLET}
These sunny cupcakes taste a bit like Creamsicles, with loads of vanilla in the batter and tangy candied kumquats in the topping. The kumquat syrup moistens the cakes, and a slice makes a pretty garnish. The recipe, which I adapted from my dear friend and seasoned gluten-free baker Sarah Menanix, who writes the blog SnixyKitchen.com, turns out the most tender and tasty vanilla cupcakes I’ve ever had. Sweet rice, oat and millet flours create a neutral base with a touch of nutty flavor dotted with vanilla beans and lightened with buttermilk. These are easy to whip up should you have candied kumquats on hand. Alternatively, leave them off and you’ll still have the most killer vanilla cupcakes imaginable.
MAKES 14 CUPCAKES
CUPCAKES
8 tbsp (113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (150 g) organic granulated cane sugar Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup (105 g) sweet white rice flour
½ cup (50 g) GF oat flour
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp (45 g) millet flour
1½ tsp (6 g) baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
Alternative Baker Page 8
