Steamed quince pudding with spiced syrup

Steamed quince

• 100 g white sugar
• 1000 g water
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1 vanilla bean, split into halves lengthways
• 4 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 2 slices fresh ginger (2-3 mm each), peeled
• 1 star anise
• 350 g quince (approx. 2-3 quinces), peeled, cored and cut into quarters

Pudding

• unsalted butter, for greasing
• ground cardamom, for sprinkling
• ground cinnamon, for sprinkling
• 60 g blanched almonds
• 2 pieces orange zest (1 x 7 cm), no white pith
• 50 g white sugar
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 2 eggs
• 1 pinch salt
• 80 g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• double cream or crème fraîche, to serve