Name: Honey Hazelnut Quince Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: makes 1 cake 12 cm x 24 cm / 5 x 9-inch loaf pan (12 slices)
Cuisine: Slovenian
Ingredients: 300 g quinces (10.6 oz) (1 - 2 quinces); 300 g Kombucha (10.6 oz or 1 cup + 1/4 cup) (or apple cider); 2 tbsp honey; 1/2 vanilla seeds; 1 tsp lemon zest; 1 tsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp sugar; 160 g butter (5.7 oz or 1 stick + 1/2 stick), softened at room temperature; 120 g sugar (4.2 oz or 1/2 cup); 1/2 tsp vanilla seeds; 2 tbsp honey; 3 eggs; 60 g whole wheat flour (2.1 oz or 1/2 cup); 160 g all-purpose flour (5.6 oz or 1 cup + 1/3 cup); 1 tsp baking powder; 80 g ground hazelnuts (2.8 oz or 3/4 cup + 1 tsp)

Honey Hazelnut Quince Cake

Don’t you feel quince (the fruit) is underrated? Every autumn we see a million recipes with apples, pears, plums, walnuts, pecans, pumpkins. Recipes with quinces are rare. About four years ago we planted a quince tree. We were just starting to live together and we wanted to make something special. What better way to plant a tree and see it grow. Fast forward to today, that same little tree produces more than 40 quinces per year. That's a lot of quinces for one family. That's why every year we come up with new recipes that include quinces. Last year, we made delicious pork chops with apples and quince, it was really good. The recipe is here on the blog so you can check it out. This year, we decided to make something sweet. And so this soft and incredibly tasty Honey Hazelnut Quince Cake recipe was born. It’s the perfect afternoon autumn dessert. It’s moist, soft, tasty and it celebrates this beautiful quince season.

Honey Hazelnut Quince Cake

This Quince Cake is reminding me of home. Here in Slovenia, a lot of families have quince trees. Quinces are delicious and such versatile fruits. My mom used to make quince marmalade and they pair so good with apples. But not just that, they go incredibly well with honey and hazelnuts too. You get this incredibly tasty combination of flavors: sweet, nutty, earthy, fruity. It's such a decadent cake:

soft, moist autumn cake
the interior is distinctively nutty, with a rich hazelnut flavor
the exterior of the cake is fruity, sweet and the quince on top is perfectly cooked and juicy
perfect fall dessert, serve it with a cup of warm tea or coffee
you can freeze it too
easy recipe to make

How to make Quince Cake at home?

Making this Quince Cake at home is easy and simple. There are two main steps:

QUINCE SYRUP

Poach the quinces in a simple homemade syrup. Then, strain through a sieve and let it cool. We will use about half of the quince syrup for the cake batter. It will help the baked quince cake to be soft, aromatic and light. Then, we will use the rest of the syrup for the glaze.

Quince - Use fresh quinces, remove the core and cut on slices. There's no need to peel them, especially if they are homegrown. Quinces keep a lot of their flavor in the peel. Cook them for about 30 minutes or until they are soft but still firm.

Kombucha - Use kombucha or apple cider. Kombucha adds an amazing sweet and sour flavor and freshness. It helps the cake be soft and fresh.

Honey - Use floral honey or acacia honey. They are subtle and perfect for cakes.

Spices - Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla to the saucepan for extra flavoring. If possible, use an empty vanilla pod that still has a lot of flavors and use vanilla seeds in a more delicate dessert.

Sugar - For the sweetness, use white granulated sugar or brown sugar.

CAKE BATTER

You can get the ingredients for the cake batter in every store. They are simple and available everywhere. Butter, sugar, vanilla, honey, eggs, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and ground hazelnuts.

How to bake Quince Cake? How do you know when Quince Cake is done?

It's so exciting and special to see the cake baking and getting beautifully golden brown, especially with those quince slices arranged on top.

Before baking, preheat your oven. Always place your loaf pan on the middle rack. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes at 170 °C or 340 °F. Properly baked Honey Hazelnut Quince Cake is soft inside with an evenly baked interior and a beautiful, golden brown, crusty exterior. Test the center of the cake with a toothpick. Insert a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, then the cake is baked. Remove from the oven and leave in the pan for about 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack. While still warm, brush the top of the cake with the rest of the cold quince syrup. Leave the cake to cool, then serve.

Make sure you don't take the cake out from the oven too fast. If the cake is already brown on top, but still isn't baked in the center, then cover it with foil and continue to bake - but keep an eye on it.

How to store Honey Hazelnut Quince Cake?

There are two options to store the Quince Cake. You can wrap the cake in foil (or use an air-tight container) and keep at room temperature, or chilled in the fridge, for up to 3 days.

If you decide to place your cake in the fridge, make sure to place it to room temperature 20 minutes before serving.

You can also freeze this easy quince cake. Cut on slices and place them in freezer bags. Freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost by placing them on the kitchen counter for a couple of hours, or place them on a baking sheet and place in the oven to reheat for about 5 minutes at 180 °C / 350°F OR microwave for a few seconds.

Try these loaf cakes as well

Ingredients

quince syrup

300 g quinces (10.6 oz) (1 - 2 quinces)

300 g Kombucha (10.6 oz or 1 cup + 1/4 cup) (or apple cider)

2 tbsp honey

1/2 vanilla seeds

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp sugar

quince cake

160 g butter (5.7 oz or 1 stick + 1/2 stick), softened at room temperature

120 g sugar (4.2 oz or 1/2 cup)

1/2 tsp vanilla seeds

2 tbsp honey

3 eggs

60 g whole wheat flour (2.1 oz or 1/2 cup)

160 g all-purpose flour (5.6 oz or 1 cup + 1/3 cup)

1 tsp baking powder

80 g ground hazelnuts (2.8 oz or 3/4 cup + 1 tsp)

Tools and equipment

kitchen knife

saucepan

sieve

bowl

parchment paper

loaf pan 12 cm x 24 cm or 5x9 inch

electric mixer

METHOD

quince syrup

Clean and core the quinces. Quarter them, then cut each quarter into three slices. Add Kambucha or apple cider, honey, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar to a saucepan. Place over low heat, bring to a boil, then cook for 30 - 35 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Keep both the syrup and quinces for later. Leave it to cool completely, then use.
Honey Hazelnut Quince Cake

Preheat your oven to 170 °C or 340 °F. Grease a loaf pan (12 x 24 cm or 5x9 inches) with butter, then line with parchment paper, leaving a short overhang on each long side (this way it will be easier to transfer the baked cake). Make the cake batter. In a bowl cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, and honey. Mix on high speed for about 2 - 3 minutes. Gradually, while mixing, add the eggs to the butter mixture, one by one. Only add the next egg once the previous one has been completely incorporated. In a separate bowl, stir to combine whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, and ground hazelnuts. Alternate adding dry ingredients (flour mixture) and 100g / 3.5 oz of prepared cooled quince syrup to the butter mixture until well incorporated and smooth. Mix on low speed until you get a smooth batter.
Bake and Serve

Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan. Arrange the poached quinces on top. Place in the preheated oven, on the middle rack. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes at 170 °C or 340 °F or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Take the baked Honey Hazelnut Quince Cake from the oven, leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then brush with the rest of the quince syrup and transfer to a wire rack to cool. You can serve this cake while still warm or at room temperature. Cut on slices and enjoy.