Pear Spice Cake with Salted Caramel
Pear Spice Cake with Salted Caramel
AuthorJulie
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray two 8 or 9-inch cake pans.
In a large bowl, beat the sugars and eggs for 2-3 minutes, until thick and pale. beat in the oil and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture along with the grated pears and any juices that have accumulated underneath them (grate them onto a cutting board or into a flat bowl or cake pan), beating on low speed or stirring just until combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch. Cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then invert them onto wire racks to cool. If you like, slice the domed part off the tops of the cakes using a serrated knife.
To make the frosting, beat the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in the icing sugar and milk or cream, adding extra sugar or milk if needed to achieve a spreadable consistency. Spread over the cake layers, and if you like, spoon some into a frosting bag with a star tip and pipe over the top of the cake - this will provide ridges for the caramel to drip from.
To make the caramel, stir together the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. When it comes to a boil, stop stirring and swirl the pan often, cooking until it starts to turn golden. When it starts to change colour don’t leave the pan – swirl it often until it turns a deep golden – the colour of maple syrup. Remove from heat and whisk in the cream – it will foam up. Whisk in the salt and let cool to room temperature – it can be slightly warm, but not so warm that it will melt the icing.
Once cooled, dribble the caramel over the cake.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray two 8 or 9-inch cake pans.
In a large bowl, beat the sugars and eggs for 2-3 minutes, until thick and pale. beat in the oil and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture along with the grated pears and any juices that have accumulated underneath them (grate them onto a cutting board or into a flat bowl or cake pan), beating on low speed or stirring just until combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch. Cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then invert them onto wire racks to cool. If you like, slice the domed part off the tops of the cakes using a serrated knife.
To make the frosting, beat the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in the icing sugar and milk or cream, adding extra sugar or milk if needed to achieve a spreadable consistency. Spread over the cake layers, and if you like, spoon some into a frosting bag with a star tip and pipe over the top of the cake - this will provide ridges for the caramel to drip from.
To make the caramel, stir together the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. When it comes to a boil, stop stirring and swirl the pan often, cooking until it starts to turn golden. When it starts to change colour don’t leave the pan – swirl it often until it turns a deep golden – the colour of maple syrup. Remove from heat and whisk in the cream – it will foam up. Whisk in the salt and let cool to room temperature – it can be slightly warm, but not so warm that it will melt the icing.
Once cooled, dribble the caramel over the cake.
