Prep 30min (+ 15min cooling time)
Bake 3hrMakes 10-12 serves

Dense with lemon myrtle-scented quince and soaked with the poaching syrup, this cake is just as wonderful served warm as a dessert or for afternoon tea. It's made with raw sugar, which adds a caramel note. This cake is very simple – just beat everything together!

Ingredients

Melted butter, to grease
260g (1¾ cups) self-raising flour
165g (¾ cup) raw caster sugar
185g butter, diced, softened
3 eggs, at room temperature
80ml (⅓ cup) cooled syrup from poached quince
Icing sugar, to dust
Cream, ice cream or crème fraîche, to serve

Lemon myrtle-poached quinces

3 quinces (about 350g each), peeled, cut into eighths, cored
330g (1½ cups) caster sugar
1½ litres (6 cups) water 
10 lemon myrtle leaves

Method

1. To make the lemon myrtle-poached quinces, combine the sugar and water in a large saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the quince quarters and lemon myrtle leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, cover the quince with a cartouche (baking paper) and simmer for 1 hour or until the quince is tender when pierced with a skewer. Remove the quince from the syrup and set aside to cool completely. Continue to simmer the syrup for another 30 minutes or until reduced to about 600 ml. Pour into a jug and set aside to cool. Cut each quince wedge into 3 slices.
2. Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Grease a 22cm springform tin with melted butter and line the base with non-stick baking paper.
3. Place the flour, sugar, butter, eggs and cooled poaching syrup in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to high and beat for 3 minutes or until the mixture is very pale and creamy.
4. Spoon half the cake batter into the prepared tin and use the back of a spoon to spread evenly. Top with half the poached quince slices. Cover with the remaining cake batter, spreading evenly, and then top with the remaining poached quince on top.
5. Bake in for 1½ hours or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Heat the remaining quince poaching syrup until just simmering and then pour about 125 ml (1/2 cup) of the hot syrup over the cake. Set the cake aside in the tin on a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, return the remaining syrup to the heat and simmer until reduced by half (you will have about 250 ml / 1 cup) left).
7. Dust the cake with icing sugar, if desired, and serve warm or at room temperature, accompanied by the remaining syrup and cream.

Baker's Tips

• This cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

This recipe is from Anneka's SBS Food online column, Bakeproof: Autumn fruits. CLICK HERE for more Bakeproof recipes.

Photography by Alan Benson.