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Shikha la mode

Eating Life to its Fullest in San Francisco, CA.

Home » Recipes » Breads » Quick Breads » Kumquat Poppy Seed Loaf

April 29, 2021

Kumquat Poppy Seed Loaf

This kumquat poppy seed loaf is sweet, moist, and perfect for spring. Cook your kumquats with some sugar first for max flavor.

kumquat poppy seed loaf

I love pastries that look simple and easy, but when done right, actually require a keen sense of flavor and process to perfect. My favorite bakeries (like Huckleberry, which inspired this loaf!) do this—they’ll serve something low-key like banana bread but it’ll be the best banana bread you’ve ever had. It’s a simple, easy pastry, but they’ve labored over rounds and rounds of experimentation to get it right. I love that dedication to the craft no matter how bougie or homely the pastry is.

Quick breads are like that—super easy to make at home, but to make them right takes finesse. There’s a reason I almost never purchase a poppy seed loaf slice outside—most of them suck. They’re moist but oily, sweet but cloying, “freshly baked” but dry AF. Nobody wants that. 

What y’all DO want is this kumquat poppy seed loaf. I thought a lot about this, lol, so I could create a loaf I actually want to eat for breakfast, snack, or dessert. It’s citrusy without overpowering every other flavor, and some quick stovetop action creates the most lush kumquat topping. 

Kumquats are expensive even in season, so I tried to maximize their use without breaking the bank, and I think this loaf is pretty good. If you haven’t eaten kumquats before, they’re wild—their peel is edible, and they taste like an orange but punchier. A boyfriend I had in college would get boxes of kumquats shipped to him since his family home had a kumquat tree in the front yard, and while he didn’t find much use for them, I’d go crazy turning them into jams and pastries. I have fond memories of experimenting the hell out of those kumquats to understand how to bring out their best side.

And since I’ve done all the experimentation, you don’t have to! This loaf takes a little more labor than your standard quick bread, but trust me, it’s worth it. Read the recipe notes below and get to it.

Recipe notes:

  • The extra egg yolks and kumquat puree give this loaf a nice yellow color plus extra flavor.
  • Yogurt keeps the cake moist—you can also use creme fraîche, buttermilk, etc.
  • The ginger taste is mild but omit it if you like.
  • Make sure to de-seed your kumquats! The seeds aren’t edible and super bitter.

sliced kumquats poppy seed loaf fresh baked

Kumquat Poppy Seed Loaf

Created by Shikha on April 29, 2021

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  • Prep Time: 40m
  • Cook Time: 40m
  • Total Time: 1h 20m
  • Serves: 1

Ingredients

  • 200 grams (around 10-12) kumquats
  • 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
  • 150 grams (3/4 cup) water
  • 226 grams (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
  • 100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • Zest from 8 kumquats
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons plain, unsweetened yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 160 grams (1.25 cups) AP flour
  • 35 grams (1/4 cup) almond meal
  • 10 grams (1.5 tsp) baking powder
  • 25 grams (2 Tbsp) poppy seeds
  • 4 grams (1/2 tsp) salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C. Spray or butter a loaf pan and set aside.
  2. Zest 8 kumquats. Keep zest in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Thinly slice these and all the other kumquats and remove the seeds. Combine with the 200g sugar and 100g water in a small saucepan and heat over medium.
  4. Reduce heat to maintain simmer, and let it cook for 15-20 minutes until kumquats are soft and translucent. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  5. Divide the cooked kumquats + syrup in half and set one half aside. Use a small blender or food processor to puree the second half until it\'s mostly smooth—there can still be tiny chunks of kumquat in there. Set aside for now.
  6. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and zests on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
  7. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs and yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
  8. Mix in yogurt and vanilla.
  9. Reduce speed to low and add flours, poppy seeds, salt, ginger, and baking powder. Mix until just combined.
  10. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too much, loosely cover with foil and continue baking.
  11. Once cake is done and still warm, brush the top with some of the extra kumquat syrup from the reserved cooked kumquats. Let loaf continue to cool to room temperature.
  12. Serve with extra kumquats.
  • Print

Filed Under: Quick Breads Tagged With: Baking, kumquat poppy seed loaf, quick bread, Recipe, spring recipes

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About

Shikha here - a pastry chef, runner, and writer based in San Francisco. I've worked in several Michelin-starred restaurants and blasted a lot of hip hop during prep service. Now I develop recipes, write, run races, and teach classes so you too can eat life to its fullest.

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