Ingredients
Poached quince
Method
1.To make poached quince, peel quince, reserve half the peel. Quarter quince, do not core. Combine sugar, the water, wine and vanilla in a large cast iron casserole or saucepan with tight-fitting lid; stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add quince and reserved peel, bring to the boil; cover with a sheet of baking paper then cover tightly with foil, or a lid to ensure quince is submerged. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer; cook 3¼ hours or until tender and a deep red colour. Cool quince in syrup.
2.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease a 24cm x 34cm (9½-inches x 13½-inches) shallow rectangular cake pan; line base and sides with baking paper.
3.Pulse nuts in a food processor until finely chopped. Combine nuts, chocolate, breadcrumbs, baking powder and ground spices in a large bowl.
4.Beat yolks and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add nut mixture; mix well. Fold in butter. Beat egg whites in a large clean bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold whites, in two batches, into nut mixture; pour mixture into pan.
5.Bake cake 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking time, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Stand cake 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely in the pan.
6.Strain poached quince through a fine sieve over a bowl. Remove core from quince; cut each quarter in half lengthways. Place quince wedges on a tray, cover; refrigerate until needed. Discard peelings and vanilla. Boil 2 cups strained syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat 15 minutes or until thickened. Cool.
7.Beat mascarpone and ½ cup reduced syrup in a small bowl with an electric mixer until almost firm peaks form.
8.Spread top of cake with mascarpone mixture; drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the remaining reduced syrup. Serve cake cut into squares with quince.
Depending on the variety of quince used, some will turn more of a rusty red colour while others a deep crimson. Also, cooking time can vary between types, with some needing a little longer cooking to achieve a red hue.
Note
