Quince upside down cake

Since it's quince season I'm thinking quince cake. Upside down cake. Quince is too sour to eat raw, but you will be amazed what this fruit can do with a cake.

Ingredients:

400 grams (2 cups) sugar

3 cloves (whole)

zest from an average size lemon (1 tablespoon)

3 large quince

200 g (1 cup) sugar

150 grams (2/3 cup) butter

190 grams flour (1 1/2 cups)

2 large eggs

60 grams (1/4 cup) sour cream

5 ml vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)

50 grams (1/2 cup) almond meal

5 grams (1 teaspoon) baking powder

1 gram (1/4 teaspoon) ground nutmeg

3 grams (1/2 teaspoon) ground cardamom

pinch of salt

Directions:
Peel the quinces, trim the ends, and cut them in quarters from stem to base, leaving the cores intact. In a saucepan, add 400 g sugar, 1 l (4 cups) water, lemon zest, cloves and quince quarters. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then simmer for about 20 minutes, until tender and pink. Transfer the quince to a plate, allow to cool. Continue simmering the syrup for another 30 minutes, until it thickens. Set aside.

Now it's time to preheat your oven to 180 ºC (350 ºF).

Remove cores from quince and slice each quarter into wedges. Line the bottom of a 23 cm (9 inch) round cake pan with parchment paper. Arrange quince slices on the bottom of the cake pan, or not, as shown in the picture. Pour over 1 cup of syrup.

Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and cardamom into medium bowl. Whisk in the almond meal and set aside.

Beat together the butter, remaining sugar (200 g = 1 cup), and vanilla for about 3 minutes or until light and creamy. Add the sour cream and then the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Don't forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Spoon the batter over quince, spreading it evenly to the sides of the pan and smooth with spatula.

Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. While the cake is still warm, run a knife around its sides and invert it onto the rack to cool completely.