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Upside-Down Date Cake With Marmalade
Updated May 28, 2024
![Upside-Down Date Cake With Marmalade](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/12/19/dining/19ottorex2/19ottorex2-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 3 hours 15 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- ¾pound/350 grams kumquats or tangerines
- 3whole star anise
- 2cinnamon sticks
- ¼teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1½cups/300 grams granulated sugar (caster sugar)
- 3tablespoons lemon juice
- 2tablespoons orange juice
- 1tablespoon Cognac
- ¾cup/170 grams unsalted butter (1½ sticks), at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1⅓cup/175 grams all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- ½cup/50 grams almond flour (ground almonds)
- 2teaspoons baking powder
- 2teaspoons ground star anise
- ½teaspoon salt
- ¾cup plus 2 tablespoons/170 grams Demerara sugar
- 3large eggs
- 8ounces/225 grams medjool dates, pitted and chopped into ½-inch/1-centimeter pieces
- ⅓cup/70 milliliters whole milk, at room temperature
- 8ounces/250 grams mascarpone
- 1cup/250 milliliters heavy whipping cream (double cream)
- 3tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)
- 1tablespoon Cognac
For the Marmalade
For the Cake
For the Cognac Mascarpone
Preparation
- Step 1
Prepare the marmalade: Trim and discard the ends of the kumquats, slice the kumquats into ⅛-inch/¼-centimeter rounds and discard the seeds (pips). If using tangerines, quarter them lengthwise then cut them into ⅛-inch/¼-centimeter-thick slices. Transfer the fruit and the star anise, cinnamon, vanilla and 2 cups/450 milliliters water to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the fruit has softened, about 10 minutes.
- Step 2
Add the sugar and lemon juice and cook, stirring often, until the marmalade darkens and has a loose, jam-like consistency, adjusting the temperature as necessary to maintain a rapid bubble, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the juiciness of your fruit. (You don’t want to overcook the marmalade, as it will continue to thicken as it cools.)
- Step 3
Remove from the heat and stir in the orange juice and Cognac. Let cool at least 1 hour. (We like the look and flavor of the star anise and cinnamon sticks, but feel free to remove them at this point, if you like.)
- Step 4
Prepare the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/160 degrees Celsius. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch/20-centimeter springform cake pan (cake tin) and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Measure out ¼ cup marmalade and set aside. Spoon 1 cup/250 grams marmalade into the pan, leaving a ¾-inch/2-centimeter border around the edges.
- Step 5
Sift together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, ground star anise and salt and set aside. Place the ¾ cup/170 grams butter and the Demerara sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Step 6
Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs one by one, scraping down the bowl as needed, until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the dates and mix for 30 seconds on medium speed. On low speed, add the flour mixture, followed by the milk and mix until well combined, about 30 seconds more.
- Step 7
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, starting around the perimeter of the pan to keep the marmalade in place, then smooth the surface into an even layer. Transfer the pan onto a baking sheet (tray). Bake until the cake springs back to a light touch in the center or a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes, rotating the cake halfway through baking. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Step 8
Prepare the Cognac mascarpone: Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk on medium-high speed until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Step 9
Carefully release the sides of the cake pan and invert a serving plate over the top of the pan. Flip the whole thing over and carefully remove the paper.
- Step 10
Gently warm the reserved ¼ cup marmalade and spoon evenly over the top of the cake. Slice with a sharp knife and serve warm, with the Cognac mascarpone alongside.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
I made this yesterday. This is a great recipe but the timing 60-75 minutes was way off for me. It was done in 40-45 in my oven. I had the timer set for 55 and it was a good thing I looked early and removed it at 50.. It ended up a bit too dry which was a shame since the flavors are perfect.
I used Nagami Kumquats. They are much larger than the ones that are traditionally found in the local grocery stores. The marmalade took longer to cook because of that, but it held its shape well. I couldn’t find ground star anise so ground it myself in an old coffee grinder I use exclusively for spices. I think this cake was definitely worth the effort and will make it again!
This cake is just what I was looking for. Medjool dates offer quite a bit of sweetness so I decreased the sugar to 1/2 cup. I also subbed unsweetened applesauce for half of the butter. The texture and crumb turned out fantastic and the flavors are on point. I baked in a convection oven on a baking sheet for 25 minutes then turned and baked for another 25 minutes. Perfectly baked with that timing.
I'm tempted to make this, but I'm too lazy to make my own marmalade. I would use a good-quality store marmalade, heat with the seasonings, and voila!
ottolenghi, forgive me. i bought a jar of tangerine marmalade from the farmers market and used that. i also used flax egg. i made the rest of the recipe exactly and the cake turned out amazing.
I honestly just used this for the marmalade recipe, although one day I’d like to do the cake as well. 350 grams of kumquats yielded three pints (slight, but definitely more than two full pints). I used Chinese five spice powder, rounded .25teas, since I didn’t have anise. I did not bother with the orange juice, and used Cointreau instead of cognac. It tastes amazing!
I just made this and it was delicious. That said, those “8” servings are huge. If and when I make this again, I want to figure out a way to make 12 servings. Maybe use muffin cups or find some cake pans that hold enough for just one serving.
I used a whole quart of pre-prepared marmalade on the bottom, ground hazelnuts instead of almonds, just 90g sugar, cream instead of milk, added cardamon and vanilla, skipped the mascarpone. took it out at 50 mins per some other comments and as the skewer was coming out clean by that time, but really it ought to have stayed in the oven a bit longer-- it was well done on the outside, less so in the center. Next time, I will let the outside develop even more of a crust. still delicious.
Cake was WELL DONE @45 min! I would check at 40 min or earlier. Recipe took all afternoon to prepare. The marmalade looked and tasted like….marmalade. Next time will just warm up some jam (like stonewall kitchen tangerine marmalade) and add a bit of cognac and pinch of spice and save myself the hour. Looks gorgeous tho!
I make a lot of cakes and this is my new favorite. I don’t do alcohol so I subbed a strong earl grey tea for the cognac (I soaked the dates in it before chopping them too). So good served warm. Wowee!
I used pre-made marmalade, but otherwise followed the recipe. I have never had such a tender cake. It's magical.
Wow-This was an amazing cake! As recommended by someone else, I added cardamom to the cake as well as the marmalade, which is AMAZING with kumquats! Before adding the dates and flour, I placed them in a food processor to thoroughly distribute the sticky dates as well as reduce the size of what could be a weird "fruit cake" texture. It worked beautifully. DO NOT substitute Cointreau for Cognac in the mascarpone. I made butter :) The cake is ideal with a side of vanilla ice cream, instead.
Need to adjust for altitude
I recommend using a 9" pan. It gives a more even bake and lessens the chances of over baking. Also toss the dates in the flour mixture, it suspends and distributes them more evenly. Lastly, paint the sides of the cake with liquid from the additional jam that you add to the top after baking. Really delicious cake, and it gets better with age.
This was great. Loved the texture and flavor of the cake. It was light yet warmly spiced. I’m not a big fan of dates, so was not surprised that that was the only part of the cake I didn’t like. I might leave them out next time or try adding nuts instead.
This cake is just what I was looking for. Medjool dates offer quite a bit of sweetness so I decreased the sugar to 1/2 cup. I also subbed unsweetened applesauce for half of the butter. The texture and crumb turned out fantastic and the flavors are on point. I baked in a convection oven on a baking sheet for 25 minutes then turned and baked for another 25 minutes. Perfectly baked with that timing.
I made this and the marmalade burned on the bottom of the pan. I didn't have a spring form pan in the right size and could not find one. So I used a regular 8" and used parchment and butter to no avail. The cake was great and will make again but not with the marmalade in the bottom. I think I will use it as a sauce after it is out of the pan and ready to eat. I will make both again since they were delish. Just not in the manner as written here.
I used small Cara Cara oranges that were getting old. Tasted fine, but they needed to be sliced MUCH thinner.
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