Kumquat and raspberry sponge cake

Spring is really taking it's time to arrive here in Vancouver. Normally, the shops would be brimming with Spring produce by now: Broad (fava) beans would be just beginning, English peas may be early and the streets would be full of glowing cherry blossoms in all shades of pink, cream and white. Instead, the cherry blossoms are hardly blooming, there isn't a pea or bean to be found and the sleety rain persists, last night keeping us awake with it's pitter-patter on our window. It seems Punxsutawney Phil was correct. A trip to my local organic market with such anticipation was instead fraught with frustration. Grabbing some cartons of cute little fruits was all I could do to console myself, one of which was kumquats.

I admit I've never used or tasted these little fruits before and was intrigued on how to use them. I didn't immediately pop one in my mouth, skin and all as recommended, somewhat scared perhaps of the 'sweet-sour' nature so vividly explained on Internet sites, (one complete with instructions on the facial expressions to make when eating one). The sweet is apparently the skin and the sour the flesh. I found a recipe for a cake which used only the skin, therefore only the sweetness which I think is cheating somewhat but I just couldn't face the kumquat salsa recipe in which raw, halved fruits were used, however pretty it looked. This cake has a moist, almost sticky texture inside and a slightly crispy, caramelised top.

Recipe : Kumquat and raspberry cake

Adapted from this recipe  

(Because I used raw brown sugar in this recipe, the cake was not quite as sweet as you may hope for. You can increase the amount of sugar to 150g, if you wish, or even use that nasty white granulated stuff at the original 125g specified).

1/2 lb kumquats

3 large eggs

125g (4.5 oz) all purpose flour

125g (4.5oz) raw brown sugar

1 .5 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp cream

2 tbsp milk

a small handful of raspberries

Place the kumquats in a pan with enough water to barely cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer gently for about 1 hour, by which time the kumquats will be very soft. Allow them to cool and then squeeze open and remove the flesh and seeds, keeping the soft skins.

Puree the kumquat skins with the eggs in a blender or processor until very smooth or a little coarse if you wish. Mix the flour, sugar and baking powder together in a bowl and then add the egg and kumquat mixture. Mix well. I found the mix to be quite dry, which is why I added the cream and milk to loosen it slightly. Add the raspberries, stirring until they begin to break apart and pour the batter into a buttered and paper lined cake tin.

Bake the cake for 20 - 25 minutes, testing with a skewer by inserting into the middle and checking it comes out clean. Remove the cake from the baking tin and let rest on a wire rack until cooled.

We ate the cake in slices with cream poured over, letting it get absorbed by the spongy texture before adding a little more. The kumquats were sweetly citrusy which lent a sticky marmalade taste to it, punctuated by a hit of tang from the raspberries.