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Spiced-Quince Brown Butter Cake

An elegant fall dessert from Claudia Fleming's The Last Course.
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Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 386
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the quince:
  • 1 large quince, peeled, cored, and cut into 16 slices
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 whole clove stuck into a 2-inch strip of orange peel
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
For the cake:
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 stick
  • 1 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/3 cup cake flour I used all-purpose and it was fine
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 4 large egg whites 1/2 cup
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

Method
 

For the quince:
  1. To prepare the quince, in a large saucepan, combine the quince, 3 cups water, the sugar, wine, orange peel with clove, cinnamon, and star anise. Cut a round of parchment paper slightly smaller than the pot and lay it on top of the quince (this will keep the fruit submerged; you can also use a sturdy, heatproof plate).
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the quince is tender and spongy, about 1 1/4 hours. Drain the quince pieces on layers of paper towel. Discard the liquid (or reduce it and use it to make a cocktail!).
For the cake:
  1. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 400 F. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue to let the butter cook until the white milk solids fall to the bottom of the skillet and turn a rich hazelnut brown. Strain the browned butter through a fine sieve into a clean bowl, discarding the solids.
  2. Sift together the confectioners' sugar, almond flour, cake flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom. Place the sifted ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. On the lowest speed, add the egg whites and orange zest; mix until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat until very smooth. Decrease the speed to low and stir in the browned butter, then increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth.
  3. Butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a springform pan. Pour in the batter and smooth the top. Arrange the quince slices on the batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Remove the sides of the pan before serving.