Olive oil cake with poached cumquats

SERVES 10-12 PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES (+ COOLING TIME)

2 vanilla beans

3 lemons

1¼ cups (275g) caster sugar

½ cup (125ml) water

375ml verjuice

15 cumquats, halved whipped cream and icing sugar, for serving

OLIVE OIL CAKE

5 large free range egg yolks

⅔ cup (150g) caster sugar finely grated zest of 5 lemons ½ cup (125ml) syrup from poached cumquats

½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil 1 cup (150g) plain flour pinch of salt

3 free range egg whites pinch of cream of tartar

1 Split the vanilla beans lengthways with a sharp knife. Remove strips of rind from the lemons with a vegetable peeler and juice 2 of the lemons: you will need ⅔ cup (160ml) of juice.

2 In a medium saucepan, dissolve caster sugar and water over low heat, then bring to the boil and cook, without stirring, until amber in colour. Remove pan from the heat. Standing well back, as the mixture will spit, add verjuice, strips of lemon zest and vanilla beans. Bring to a gentle simmer, then add cumquats and poach for 15 minutes until just tender. Add some of the lemon juice (about 2 tablespoons) to the syrup to reduce sweetness – taste syrup as you go, adding a little juice at a time. Remove from heat; set aside. Reserve 125ml of syrup for cake.

3 OLIVE OIL CAKE Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced).