Grandma's Kumquat Cake

When I was growing up my cousins and I would go over to my uncle's yard and steal all kinds of goodies off his trees. There were loquats, mulberries, tangerines, oranges that he would cut so we could drink the juice, sugarcane stalks to chew, and of course, kumquats. Kumquats are these weird little citrus fruits that have a thick skin and a very tart flesh. You can eat them whole, or what we learned to do was eat the skin and throw the inside away. Kind of counter-intuitive but that's how we do.

Sometimes my grandma would task us with collecting some kumquats so she could make her kumquat cake. I have no idea where she found this recipe but this cake was beloved by the whole family. It's a good way of using up the fruit and making it tasty instead of being very sour.

 This past year one of my cousins reminded me about that delicious cake so I went to my grandma's cookbook that is falling apart and colored with age and countless uses and actually found the recipe! My cousins and I went out that night after dark to pick what remained from the kumquat tree and I baked this cake the next day. The first bite brought me right back to sitting at my grandma's kitchen table eating this cake and talking to her about whatever we used to talk about. It was a powerfully emotional experience because taste memory is so strong. Do you have a flavor that just brings you back to a time and place like that?

Around that time I made another cake to bring to Tyler's house for dinner and his mom fell in love with the cake. She said that she wanted this to be her birthday cake, which was quite the compliment! Since her birthday is in August and there are no kumquats to be found that time of year, I froze some kumquat puree so I could make it for her.

And here we are! I pulled some of the puree out of the freezer and made this for her birthday. Everyone loved it! It's such an embarrassingly simple cake but it has such a nice flavor. It's citrus but it's different from the usual lemon or orange. If you can't get your hands on kumquats you can substitute Calamondin oranges or a meyer lemon, I think, but it won't have the same signature flavor. Kumquats are hard to find and have a short season. I pick mine from my uncle's tree but you can find them in stores in the winter. If you're a kumquat nut like me make sure you're prepared for the long off-season!

This cake holds a lot of memories for me and is one of my favorite things to make. I love using fruit that grows on my family's property and I love making a cake with such personal ties. I always think of my grandma when I make it and thank her for a recipe that is still making people happy to this day. So if you make this, please enjoy and know that the recipe comes from a loving Grandma's kitchen.

Grandma's Kumquat Cake

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup kumquat puree, divided
• eggs
• vegetable oil 
• 2 cups powdered sugar

To make the puree slice and seed the kumquats and place in a blender. They should puree without any additional water but you can add a little water if you need to.

To make the cake, substitute 3/4 cup of the puree for the water called for in the recipe.If the recipe calls for more than3/4 cup water, add the remaining amount of water. (So if it calls for 1 cup water, add 3/4 cup puree and 1/4 cup water). Add the remaining ingredients to make the cake as normal. Bake according to box instructions.

Take the remaining puree and add 2 cups powdered sugar and stir until combined. If too runny add more sugar, if too thick add some water. It should be thick enough to not run all over the place.

Once the cake is done prick all over with a fork and let cool. Spread the glaze all over the top of the cake. Enjoy!