French Pear Cake

 

This is just a quick post late on a windy Sunday afternoon, to share with you a cake which is a firm favourite of mine. The soft and tender cake combined with juicy pears will leave you wanting a second slice. 

Pears are always available for sale here in North Queensland and are perfect for baking so many mouthwatering cakes and desserts. Thank you to the iconic Australian Women's Weekly  for the original version of this recipe. It is perfect for afternoon tea served just on its own, or served warm with fresh thickened cream or ice cream for dessert. Cakes and desserts containing fruit within are so versatile.

Serves 10

Ingredients: 

Cooking time: 1 hour 25 minutes

40g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (60g) ground almonds or ground hazelnuts
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups (385g) Castor sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125ml) milk
2 cups (300g) self-raising flour, sifted
4 (800g) slightly under ripe pears, cored, sliced thickly
2 tablespoons coffee sugar crystals or demarara sugar for topping
20g unsalted butter,  chopped, extra required

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg. C (160 deg.C fan-forced). Generously grease a 23cm spring form cake pan with the softened butter. Sprinkle in half of the ground almonds, shake them around the pan so that they coat the sides and base. Place pan on a baking paper or alfoil lined oven tray.
2. Combine the eggs and sugar in a food processor, process until combined. Add the vanilla, milk and flour, and process until it forms a thick smooth batter.
3. Transfer the cake mixture to a large mixing bowl; stir in the sliced pears; pour the mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle top with remaining ground almonds and sugar crystals. Dot with the extra butter.
4. Bake cake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked when tested. Cover with foil if it starts to over-brown during baking. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Serve the cake warm with double cream or ice cream and enjoy. I know you will love this one, we do.

Warm wishes,

Pauline