Change is hard for many people. It brings upheaval, fear of the unknown, and the need to let go.
Some change is good; some not so good. Today's recipe is a change for the good, or at least I think so. Not that the original recipe was bad; it was definitely good. But I was having one of those days when mixing things up seemed a good idea.
It started with making a German sunken apple cake. I posted a photo of it on Instagram and Facebook, with the question “Should I make this for Cocoa & Lavender?”
The response was overwhelmingly positive so I decided to post it... but with a surprise. A change. Instead of apple, it is a sunken pear cake! And, boy, is it good
For those who are change-averse and want the traditional sunken apple cake, just use apples and leave out the almond extract.
Remember, when going through changes - good or bad - keep these words by Ghandi in mind: “Be the change that you want see in the world.” Among other things, I wanted to see pears.
~ David
Sunken Pear Cake
3 medium pears
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
9 tablespoons softened unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 to 2 tablespoons demerara (raw) sugar
vanilla ice cream, for serving, optional
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Butter the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper; set aside.
Peel, core, and quarter the pears. Thinly slice each quarter lengthwise without cutting all the way through to the core side, leaving the quarter hinged together. Finely grate the zest of the lemon into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and set aside; save the lemon half.
Cream the butter and sugar with the lemon zest, occasionally scraping down the sides; add the almond extract and 1 of the eggs. Beat until combined before adding the second egg. Beat until combined and then add the third egg, beating until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture until just combined, then beat in the juice from the reserved lemon half. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and give the batter one last mix by hand.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Gently press the pear quarters into the batter, core-side down, leaving only a bit of space between each quarter. If you have any pear left over, break off slices and insert them into any open space available. Sprinkle the top evenly with the demerara sugar.
Bake, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the cake is golden and a tester inserted into the cake (not pear) comes out clean, 35 to 37 minutes.
Place the pan on a rack to cool for 5 minutes before running a knife around the edge and removing the springform ring. Let cool to room temperature.
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Serves 8.
Labels: dessert, German, pears, sunken apple cake, sunken pear cake
