Polenta and Quince Upside-Down Cake

For the cake:
Peel, core and halve the quince. Put the quince in a small saucepan and cover with water. Add 100g of the caster sugar, bring to a simmer then lower heat and poach on a low to medium heat for about 10 minutes until quince are soft but not breaking up. Remove the quince to a cutting board and set the liquid aside. Cut the quince into slices and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 140 C and grease and line a 15cm cake tin. Arrange the sliced quince on the bottom of the cake tin.

In a bowl cream together the butter and remaining sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time then add the vanilla. Then mix in the dry ingredients including the dry polenta.

Pour the cake mixture on top of the quince slices, smooth the top and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

When done remove pan from oven. Leave cake to cool for a bit then run a knife around the edge, place a plate over the tin and flip it over. Remove the tin and hopefully you will have a perfectly formed upside down cake.

To make the spiced ginger syrup add the listed amount of leftover poaching liquid, the stem ginger and syrup, sugar, cardamon and star anise into a saucepan. Cook on a medium to high heat until it reduces into a syrup. Add more sugar to taste and remove from heat. Remove the cardamon and star anise and pour the syrup directly over the top of the cake. I served my cake with creme fraiche.