Spicedpearcake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the raisins in a bowl and toss them with 2 tablespoons of the flour until lightly coated (this will prevent them from sinking in the cake batter during baking).
• To make the cake: Beat the eggs and sugar in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer) until fluffy. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the vanilla and the oil. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Mix into the egg mixture. Mix in the pears and nuts, then stir in the raisins by hand, distributing them evenly in the batter. Spoon into a 10-inch tube pan and bake about 45 to 60 minutes, until springy and dry in the center. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack, then turn it out. Freeze until ready to use or just wrap and store for up to 2 days.
• To make the glaze: Stir the maple syrup and sugar together in a bowl. Glaze the cooled cake by spooning the glaze around the top of the cake and letting it drip down the sides.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool. Turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees F.
• Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and corn syrup and evenly coat the bottom and sides of a 10 inch glass pie plate with the mixture. When the almonds are cool, arrange around the bottom rim of the pie plate, with a few in the center, pressing them into the brown sugar mixture. Arrange the pear halves like spokes of a wheel on top of the brown sugar mixture.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the pastry flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and thoroughly mix.
• In another bowl, whisk together the softened butter, sour cream, egg yolks and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with an electric mixer at medium speed about 1 1/2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until thick and smooth.
• Using a spatula, spread the batter evenly over the fruit, building up the outside edges so the cake will be level when baked. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and cool 3 to 5 minutes (no longer) and then invert onto a serving plate, repositioning the fruit as necessary.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray.
• Drain pears; pat dry; cut into small chunks.
• Mix cake mix with the eggs, oil, water, ginger and salt.
• Mix in nuts and pears.
• Pour batter into prepared pan; bake for 40 minutes.
• Remove to wire rack and cool.
• When cool sift icing sugar over the top.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan forced).
• Grease and line a 30cm x 30cm (base measurement) slice pan with baking paper, extending paper at long sides for handles.
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a small bowl until pale and creamed and then beat in eggs, one by one, until combined.
• Stir in golden syrup, then transfer mixture to a large bowl and sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice over butter mixture and add 1/4 cup hot water, stirring until just combined and then spread mixture into prepared pan, smooth surface.
• Peel, core and quarter pears and slice thinly and then arrange pear, overlapping slightly, over cake mixture in pan and then bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted at centre comes out clean.
• Remove cake from oven, then stand in pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Dust with icing sugar and serve with custard.

Steps:

• Put the sugar, vinegar, orange zest and juice, ginger, bay leaves and peppercorns in a large pan. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar, then boil for 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, peel, core and halve or quarter the pears, depending on size. Add the pears to the pan and poach gently for 10-15 mins until they are just tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and pack into warm sterilised Kilner jars with rubber seals (see tip below).
• Boil the vinegar mixture hard to reduce by a third, then pour over the pears, including the spices. The pears need to be completely covered with the liquid. Fit the rubber seal and clamp the jar tightly closed. Reserve any leftover syrup for topping up the jars later, as the pears will absorb the syrup over time. Store for up to 2 months.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 10"-diameter cake pan and line bottom with a parchment paper round; flour sides of pan. Cook orange juice, 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses, 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Add pears, cut side up, and cook (undisturbed) until they begin to release their juices, about 3 minutes. Turn pears over and cook just until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly, then arrange pears, cut side down, in prepared pan.
• Return skillet to medium heat and cook liquid in skillet until thickened and syrupy, about 5 minutes, depending on juiciness of pears. Pour syrup over pears and freeze while you prepare the batter (this is to allow syrup to set up-don't let it freeze solid).
• Pulse walnuts and remaining 1 1/2 cups flour in food processor until walnuts are finely ground. Pulse in baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs, orange zest, and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar in a medium bowl until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Fold in dry ingredients in 2 additions, fully incorporating before adding the next addition, then gradually mix in oil. Pour batter over pears and smooth top.
• Set pan on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake cake until top is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in pan, 15-20 minutes. Run knife around edges of cake to loosen and invert onto rack. Remove parchment and let cake cool completely.
• Drizzle cake with more pomegranate molasses just before serving.
• Do Ahead
• Cake can be baked 1 day ahead. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Steps:

• Poach the pears:
• Peel pears. Using a 1/2 tsp. measuring spoon or small melon baller, scoop upward from bottom of pears 1 1/2-2" to remove core and seeds; discard. Combine pears, wine, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and 3 cups water in a large, heavy pot. Cut a round of parchment to fit just inside pot and cover pears.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, turning pears occasionally to coat with liquid, until pears are very tender but not falling apart, 20-25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to a large bowl and cover with parchment round.
• Bring poaching liquid to a boil, then cook over medium heat until reduced to the consistency of thick syrup, 12-15 minutes (you should have 1/2 cup). Transfer 5 pears to a medium bowl, reserving remaining pears for cake, and pour syrup over. Cover with parchment and let cool, or chill overnight.
• Bake the cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease cake pan with butter and line bottom with parchment paper.
• Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 6-8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Pulse 1/2 cup dry ingredients and 3/4 cup hazelnuts in a food processor until hazelnuts are chopped into a fine flour; reserve remaining hazelnuts. Transfer chopped hazelnuts to bowl with dry ingredients.
• Wipe out food processor bowl and add 5 poached pears. Pulse until smooth. Transfer 2 cups to a small bowl; discard leftover purée.
• Beat brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and 3/4 cup butter on medium-high speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Scrape down bowl and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add half of pear purée and beat on low speed. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low to incorporate. Beat in remaining pear purée and flour mixture until combined. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top. Set pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake cake, rotating sheet halfway through, until center is set and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool.
• Assemble the cake:
• Turn chilled pears in liquid to coat, then transfer liquid (about 1/2 cup) to a small saucepan. Add chocolate and 3/4 cup cream and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, just until chocolate is melted. Whisk to combine, then transfer to a medium bowl. Chill, stirring occasionally so chocolate doesn't set, until room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• Remove cake from pan, trim top with a serrated knife if domed, and invert onto a 12" platter. Remove parchment. Using a toothpick, poke holes all over top of cake. Using a pastry brush, brush top with 1/4 cup chocolate sauce.
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop remaining 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts. Whip remaining 3/4 cup cream to medium-soft peaks in stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
• Top cake with whipped cream, pears, and hazelnuts. Drizzle chocolate sauce over pears. Serve remaining chocolate sauce alongside.
• Do Ahead
• Cake and pears can be made 2 days ahead; cover in separate containers and chill.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small heavy saucepan, heat rum over medium heat. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat; cool., Beat sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla and cooled rum until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Sift together the next 5 ingredients; gradually beat into rum mixture. Stir in pears, walnuts and raisins. Transfer batter to a greased and floured 13x9-in. baking pan., Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack. , For glaze, mix confectioners' sugar and rum; spread over cake. Cut into squares.

Steps:

• Pour melted butter into a 9-in. square baking pan; sprinkle with nuts and brown sugar. Arrange pears over nuts., In a large bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition., Spread batter over pears. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm with ice cream if desired.