Bejeweled Spice Cake
- Details
The holy trinity of baking spices: ginger, cassia-cinnamon and allspice combine in this traditional medieval spice blend called Poudre Douce. It makes this upside-down fruit cake an essential for the winter holidays — and it’s a table-top stunner, too! We made a festive selection of dried fruits over the classic pineapple to allow the spices to shine through. Less sweet than those pineapple upside-down cakes of our childhoods, we like this cake at brunch as well as for dessert!
Bejeweled Spice Cake
Ingredients
Topping:
- 2 cups mixed dried fruit
- 1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
- boiling water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
Cake:
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Poudre Douce (see below)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Poudre Douce
- 2-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 tablespoon Indonesian cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice, ground
- 1/3 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Put the dried fruit into a small bowl and cover with boiling water. After 10 minutes, drain and set the rehydrated fruit aside.
- To make Poudre Douce: Combine all into a small bowl and mix well. Store extra in a jar.
- Put the 2 tablespoons of butter into a 10 inch round cake pan and put it into the oven to melt. Remove from oven and swirl the melted butter around, coating bottom and sides evenly. Sprinkle the 1/3 cup brown sugar onto the bottom of the pan and spread around evenly. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, spices, baking soda, and baking powder into a bowl. Whisk in the almond flour and salt, and set aside.
- Beat the softened butter, brown sugar and honey until creamy and a light color (about 3 minutes). Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Put the drained, rehydrated fruit in the cake pan, patting down to make sure every inch is packed with fruit. Pour the cake batter on top of the fruit and smooth out.
- Bake for about 40 minutes (or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean). Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the pan (to make sure the cake is loosened), then invert cake onto a plate.
Alison’s Cranberry Chutney
This cranberry chutney is a cheerful and tasty delight. For anyone who remembers fondly the childhood thrill of a colorful canned fruit cocktail, get ready to re-live it. The chutney is easy to make and …
Golden Milk
Golden Milk is a delightful warm, spiced beverage often sipped before bed for its healing properties. The key ingredients are milk and turmeric, and from there variations abound! Most begin with a non-dairy milk and …
Sultry Spiced Short Ribs
Slow cooked short ribs are the perfect vehicle for spices, and these spiced short ribs have a secret ingredient. A milder cousin of the better known variety, Black cardamom has a deep smoky, earthy flavor …
Ancho-Espresso Dry Rub
As the World Spice Cookbook Club gears up for grilling season, we’re taking a peek inside the June 2016 selection for our monthly Meet & Eat. Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures & Glazes is an impressive compendium …
Berbere Ketchup
Folks just love their ketchup. Whether it’s for fries, hashbrowns or barbecues, there’s always a bottle in the refrigerator. Next time you find yourself in need of this essential condiment, use our simple recipe to …
Leave a Comment