PEAR SPICE CAKE

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Make this in a regular cake pan or in muffin top tins, as we did in the OCTOBER 2010  DINNER SHOW. Recipe yields 12 each muffin tops using #12 scoop. Great served with sour cream  ice cream or coriander gelato.

Ingredients:

  • As needed butter and flour to coat pans

  • 12 each pan roasted pears (Note 1 below)
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2  teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounce melted unsalted butter
  • 5 ounce half and half at room temperature

Method:

Brush 2 each, 8”cake pans or muffin top pans with butter and then flour – shake off excess. Place caramel (see Note 2) and pan roasted pears in the bottom of each pan. Meanwhile beat brown sugar and eggs together to a foamy consistency. Sift flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom and salt together and add dry ingredients to egg mixture. Combine butter with cream and add to batter slowly till blended. Divide batter between pans or tins and bake at 350° F for approximately 20-25 (for muffin tops) to 25-35  minutes (cake pans) or until cakes spring back when touched. Cool ten minutes only and turn out onto cake rack to cool (fruit on top). Serve same day if possible.



Ingredients:

  • Note 1: to pan roast pears, peel and core pears; place a small amount of butter in a sauté pan and cook until frothy; add pear half and cook to brown; turn and repeat; remove when tender and reserve chilled.

  • Note 2: for caramel,  place 6 ounce butter, 1 ¼ cup brown sugar and 3 Tablespoons water in small sauce pan; cook to dissolve and place in bottom of greased and floured baking pans or tins; place fruit in caramel and batter on top; bake as directed above.