A zesty kumquat and clementine coffee cake recipe.
Our life has been all stops and starts lately. Good things (really good things!) will happen and then a moment later there’s an avalanche of annoyances and frustrations. If I could make a blanket fort and wait out spring’s real arrival, I would, but there’s just so much to do. So, I’m starting with the little things. Trying to get right whatever I can. Mostly, this means cleaning and organizing. But also cooking. The cooking has been a good thing. Mostly.
The first time I made this cake, it just wasn’t quite right. It was homely and strangely austere. It made for a good breakfast, but wasn’t what I wanted it to be. The second time around, it’s still a little homely, but the flavor is spot on. Heaped with buttery caramelized kumquats and clementines, the topping is rather irresistible. Also noteworthy is the moist, zesty crumb. Appropriate for Easter brunch or as an easy dessert, there’s no time of day when this cake wouldn’t be perfect (trust me, I’ve researched this thoroughly). As we muddle through the tail end of winter weather, it’s appreciating the perfectly imperfect things that get will get us through. Chances are high that eventually it will really be spring. Until then, there’s cake.
Before we head into the recipe, I have a couple more items on the agenda. First, our Williams-Sonoma gift card giveaway is live until midnight EST Friday night, so head over and get yourself entered to win! It’s super easy, I promise. Second, we are so excited to be included on the Babble.com list of 2013 Top 100 Mom Blogs! Thanks to all of you for being here with us each step of the way. You guys are really nice.
A zesty kumquat and clementine coffee cake recipe.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup kumquats and clementines, sliced and seeded as best you can
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- pinch of sea salt
- 2 tablespoons Prosecco (optional)
- 1/2 cup kumquat puree, about 3/4 of a cup whole
- 1/4 cup yogurt and 1/2 cup milk, combined
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch spring form cake pan and set aside.
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To make citrus topping, heat the butter over medium-low heat in a small skillet. Add citrus slices, sugar, and sea salt. Cook 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a sticky caramel sauce has formed. Finish with a splash of Prosecco if using, and stir to incorporate. Keep over lowest heat while you prepare batter.
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Meanwhile, de-stem, seed, and rough chop kumquats reserved for the cake. Puree in a food processor, combining with the milk/yogurt mixture. Set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter on low until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well-combined and pale. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down sides as you go. Next add sea salt, baking powder and soda, and then half of the flour. Add half of the kumquat/dairy mixture, then the remaining flour, and finally, the remaining liquid.
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Spoon into prepared cake pan. Carefully arrange citrus slices on top of cake (steer clear of edges if you can, since citrus along the edges tends to burn). There will be several tablespoons of liquid left in the skillet––keep it over low heat while the cake cooks.
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Set cake on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 50 - 60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached.
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Cool cake 10 minutes, remove spring form ring, and drizzle with reserved citrus/caramel liquid. Cool, slice, and serve.
I love the look and sound of this cake! I may have to make a mini version with the kumquats I have on hand. Congrats on being named top 100! Very well deserved my friend.
Thanks for you nice words, Melissa, they mean a lot to me.
This looks so yummy. Also, congratulations on being on Babble’s top 100 mom blogs! I know how much time & work you put in & it is truly well deserved!
Thanks so much Jan! Your kind comment is most appreciated.
What a gorgeous cake. I mean it looks yummy, but also gorgeous and rustic 🙂
Jess
So glad you like it Jess! And yeah, I’m exceptional at making “rustic” baked goods.
Hi this cake sounds so yummy….I love your blog and your cooking style or cuisine;everything sounds yummy….I am so happy to have found a fellow Brooklynite we miss the Williamsburg area and hope to visit soon with our kids just to show why we are the way we are! Ha! Thank you for posting! Btw I am waiting for spring too enough already!
Hi Marisa, Your comment made my day! And a fellow Brooklynite, and former Williamsburger to boot, is always welcome here.
A blanket fort! Such a great idea, as the weather is still so chilly. This cake looks lovely, and with the addition of a flashlight and heaps of pillows and a good book, it’s possible I wouldn’t leave the blanket fort until June at the very least.
Hi Sara, Ha! You’ve given me a great idea – I mean, I can just live blog from the blanket fort until June, right? That sounds pretty right on to me (especially after getting pelted with SLEET today at the playground). Come ON March.
I’m so behind on blog reading, so this comment is super late but! I love the rustic appeal of this cake. Those crispy kumquat edges! Also, I am with you on wanting to hide out in a blanket fort until the sun becomes a permanent fixture. So many things to tick off the list before spring gets here though. Delightfully citrus-flecked cake for breakfast sounds like a strategic way to cope and get through it all 🙂
I love your blog. I made this twice last week :). I have a kumquat tree that bears a lot of kumquats each year, so I was looking for something new to make with them (made jam in previous years). It’s a beautiful cake with the kumquat topping — a co-worker told me it looked very professional. It’s not too sweet, which is good. The texture reminded me of cornbread, maybe because of the kumquat puree.