One of my favorite things to do during the fall is bake cosy autumn recipes with friends and family. This cake can be fancy enough for a formal gathering and to share with others, but it can also be just a simple morning enjoyment with a nice cup of your beverage of choice.

Ingredients:

• 760 g sliced pear
• 225 g flour
• 150 g cane sugar
• 120 g softened butter
• 2 eggs
• 100 g whole milk
• 15 g rum
• 1/2 lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Wash and dry the pears, then peel and core them, cutting them into small pieces. They can be diced or sliced, baker’s preference. Combine in a bowl with lemon juice and 30 g of sugar. Put them aside to marinate.

Moving to the batter, combine 100 g of sugar with the softened butter. Make sure the butter is truly softened to ensure a creamy batter. However, make sure it is not hot and melted, for this could curdle the eggs. You can do this with either a stand mixer or by hand. A stand mixer will likely aerate the batter better, resulting in a fluffier cake, however, mixing the batter by hand can work as well. Beat the eggs in one at a time. Incorporate the sifted flour and baking powder. Then add the milk and mix until the mixture is smooth.

Now it’s time to add in the pears. This can be done one of two ways. The first option if to simply fold in the pear-lemon mixture in its entirety by hand and pour the final mixture into a buttered pan (recommended: 22 cm in diameter, 6.5 cm in height). The second option is to hold 1/3 of the pears aside, incorporate the 2/3 of the pears into the batter (by hand), pour the mixture into the pan, and then lay the remaining 1/3 on top. If the second method is used, it is recommended to slice the pears that are going on top, rather than dicing them.

The next option you have as chef is to either sprinkle the remaining 20 g of sugar on the top to caramelize and crisp the top of the cake. Another option would be to leave off the remaining cane sugar, and after baking and cooling the cake, sifting a little confectioner’s sugar on the cake. Both of these aren’t necessary, but they certainly are simple gestures that elevate the cake. However, it is also perfectly fine to leave the excess sugar off all together.

Finally, bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour. Cool before eating.

One of the great things about this pear cake recipe is that it is extremely versatile. The pears can also be substituted with apples. This recipe is a great way to use mature fruits that may be too ripe to eat raw, preventing them from going to waste. The recipe can also be tweaked to personal liking by adding some subtle spices, like cinnamon or cardamon, and it’s delicious to enjoy with some vanilla ice cream!