Kumquat cardamom tea bread

If you take a bowl of kumquats, puree them and add them to a cardamom-infused cake batter, add a handful of chopped walnuts while you're at it, and when it comes out glaze the whole thing with more kumquat puree, then this lovely cake ensues. And it's the most flavorful and tangy and bright and happy citrus loaf cake you've ever had! Just sayin'. But because I'm such a nice person, I'm sharing the recipe right here with everyone. (Well, to be fair, it wasn't really mine to begin with).
Recipe source: Epicurious.

Last year: Pico de gallo (Mexican) (raw vegan).
Two years ago: Cocoa and chili biscotti (Aztec-style biscuits).
Three years ago: Cajeta cake squares (Molten caramel cake).
Four years ago: Scottish cardamom griddle scones, with butter and honey.





Ingredients (make one small loaf):

• 200 g kumquats + 2 kumquats to decorate 
• 190 g all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 120 g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 100 g melted butter
• a handful of walnuts, toasted and lightly chopped
• 100 g crushed pineapple from the can + its juice

For the glaze:

• 20-30 g butter
• 130 g powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line a small loaf tray with baking paper. Quarter the kumquats and put them in a small bowl.

Puree them with a vertical blender (careful about the splashing). 

In a larger bowl, mix the flour with the cardamom, baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the sugar, the melted butter, the vanilla and the beaten eggs. Add the pineapple and its juice. Add about 3/4 of the kumquat puree. Mix well into an even batter. 

Gently mix in the walnuts. 

Pour the whole thing into the prepared tin.

Put it into the preheated oven and bake it for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted inside comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit:

For the glaze, mix the listed ingredients in the remaining kumquat puree until even. Pour it on top of the cake and wait for it to harden. 

Slice the 2 reserved kumquats as thinly as you can and arrange them on top of the cake in a central line. Slice and dig in! :)