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Ingredients
- 24 ounces of under-ripe pears, scrubbed but not peeled
- 1 1/2 tsp soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 kosher salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 nutmeg
- 3/8 cloves
- 3/4 tsp ginger
- 7 ounces sugar
- 3 1/2 ounces brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 4 ounces safflower oil
- 2 ounces melted butter (you can use all oil for a lactose free version)
- 8 ounces all purpose flour, sifted (use buckwheat flour for gluten free)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 ounces pecans, lightly toasted
- 1/2 batch Caramel Pear Buttercream (see separate recipe) (save pear juice and make 'pear caramel first (both under Caramel Pear Buttercream)
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350° and line 3, 8” cake pans with parchment paper. Lightly grease and flour them, and set aside.
Core and shred the pears, using a box grater or the shredding attachment on a CuisinArt or some other gadget. Next, gather the shreds up in a large chunk of triple thick cheesecloth or a clean, thin dishtowel. Squeeze until you’ve extracted nearly ½ cup of juice or about 6 ounces. Alternately, use a potato ricer to squeeze the pear shreds.
Save the juice to make Pear Caramel for the Caramel Pear Buttercream.
Now, onto the recipe itself.
Using a hand mixer or the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar, along with all the spices, until they’re light and fluffy. About five minutes. Then slowly drizzle in the oil, melted butter, and vanilla while the mixer keeps running. Turn the speed down to low, and add in the flour all at once, mixing until just incorporated.
Stir in the pecans and the shredded pear and you’re done!
Measure out a pound of batter into 3, 8” cake pans, each lined with parchment, greased, and lightly floured. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, or until the cakes have puffed and lightly browned.
Cool thoroughly before applying the Caramel Pear Buttercream. Check out my crumb coating tutorial for more details on how to frost the cake.