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
1/8 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:
Prick 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
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"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."