For cake
2 cups kumquats, stemmed, quartered, seeded as much as possible (if you want to decorate the cake as shown then use about 6 sliced kumquats for this)
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons strong tea
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground or crushed cardamom
1 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup crushed pineapple in its own juice or large banana and some orange juice
For glaze
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 180°C.
- Place quartered kumquats in processor; puree 3 minutes. Measure 1/3 cup puree for glaze; set aside.
- Prepare pan with paper lining or butter and flour.
- Combine flour, tea, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend.
- Using electric mixer, blend 1 1/4 cups sugar and oil in large bowl.
- Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla, 2/3 cup kumquat puree, and pineapple with juice.
- Gradually add dry ingredients, beating just until blended.
- Put batter in prepared pan.
- Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
- Cool 5 minutes in pan on rack.
- Turn cake out; place top side up on rack and cool.
- Place reserved 1/3 cup puree in large bowl. Whisk in butter, powdered sugar, and lemon juice.
- Spread a bit of the glaze over cake and place the decorative slices of kumquats. Let stand until icing sets.
- Then cover with the remaining glaze when cake is cooled.
