SAUTERNES-SOAKED GENOISE WITH CANDIED KUMQUATS
For cake 1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1/8 teaspoon salt 5 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For candied kumquats 1 cup water 1 cup sugar
3/8 teaspoon salt 3 cups fresh kumquats (3/4 lb without leaves), 1 kumquat (left whole) reserved for
Sauternes syrup and remainder halved lengthwise (quartered if large) and seeds discarded
For Sauternes syrup 1 1/2 cups Sauternes 6 tablespoons sugar Zest of 1 kumquat, removed with a
vegetable peeler 2 tablespoons sliced blanched almonds, toasted
Special equipment: a 10- by 2-inch round cake pan Garnish: confectioners sugar
Make cake: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter cake pan. Line
bottom of pan with a round of wax paper or parchment, then butter paper. Dust pan with flour,
knocking out excess.
Sift together flour and salt. Beat together eggs, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high
speed until tripled in volume and thick enough to form a ribbon that takes 2 seconds to dissolve
when beater is lifted, 7 to 8 minutes in a standing mixer or 14 to 16 minutes with a handheld.
Resift flour mixture, one third at a time, over batter, folding in gently but thoroughly with a
rubber spatula after each addition. Stir together butter and about 3/4 cup batter in a small bowl
until combined, then fold butter mixture into batter gently but thoroughly.
Pour batter into cake pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean,
30 to 40 minutes.
Transfer cake in pan to a rack, then run a thin knife between cake and side of pan and cool cake,
about 20 minutes. Invert cake onto a platter with a lip and peel off paper.
Make candied kumquats while cake bakes: Bring water, sugar, and salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy
saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes. Add
kumquats and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer
kumquats to a heatproof bowl using a slotted spoon, then boil syrup until reduced to about 2/3 cup,
3 to 7 minutes. Pour over kumquats.
Make Sauternes syrup while cake cools: Bring Sauternes, sugar, and zest to a boil in a 1-quart heavy
saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil until reduced to about 1 cup, 5 to 8 minutes.
Discard zest.
Prepare cake for serving: [censored] top of cake all over with wooden pick or skewer, then brush or
pour Sauternes syrup, little by little, evenly over cake, letting syrup be absorbed before each
new addition.
Mound kumquats on cake using slotted spoon, then sprinkle with almonds. Serve remaining kumquat
syrup on the side.
Cooks' notes: • Cake can be made and cooled (but not soaked with syrup or topped with fruit
and almonds) 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature. • Candied
kumquats can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before
serving. • Sauternes syrup can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. • Cake can be
soaked with syrup 6 hours before serving and kept at room temperature, covered with an inverted
large bowl or a cake keeper.
Gourmet February 2004
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---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =--- ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =--- Sheldon
```````````` "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."