Spiced Pear and Almond Cake

Spiced Pear and Almond Cake

Spiced pear and almond cake is a lovely cake to serve for afternoon tea, warm out of the oven with a dollop of cream or Greek yoghurt. Pears are one of the oldest temperate fruits on earth. The pear (pyrus communis) was valued for both its flavour and texture in ancient times. It’s believed to have originated in the Caucasus Mountains between the Black and Caspian Seas. Today, the pear is the fifth-largest fruit crop in the world. Did you know that they are part of the Rosacae or rose family? There are 23 known wild species of pear, which can be divided into the round, crisp Asian pear, and the softer, elongated European pear.

Adding spices to your Pear and Almond Cake

I absolutely love adding spices to nearly everything I make, and I think this spiced pear and almond cake would be a good one to experiment with. Why not try some star anise, ground cardamom or allspice? While the cake tastes delicious the day it’s made, you can make it a day ahead and simply reheat it for 10 minutes. The pear puree also be made in advance, and if you have extra puree, stir it into your porridge. It’s delicious! Decorate the top with almonds, or finely sliced pear.

If you like to bake with spices, you might like to try these fig, orange and cardamom brownies https://atamandastable.com.au/fig-cardamom-and-orange-brownies/

Best wishes,

Amanda
PS: If you’ve tried this Spiced Pear and Almond Cake or any other recipe on At Amandas Table, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! If you’d like to read more, please subscribe to my monthly newsletter for stories, recipes and tips for simple, nutritious meals.

Print Recipe

Spiced Pear and Almond Cake

Spiced pear and almond cake is a lovely cake to serve for afternoon tea, warm out of the oven with a dollop of cream or Greek yoghurt.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 8 slices

Author: Amanda Lawson

Ingredients

• 120 g unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
• 120 g brown sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 100 g wholemeal spelt flour
• 100 g raw almonds plus a handful extra to decorate
• 30 g rolled oats
• 3 pears, any kind, washed, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice

Instructions

Pear Puree

• Place the chopped pears, ground cloves and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until the pears are soft.
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then puree in a blender or with a handheld mixer.
• Store in an airtight continer in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperatrue before adding it to the cake mixture.

Spiced Pear and Almond Cake

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line a 20cm diameter springform tin.
• Grind the almonds and rolled oats together in a blender or food processor. Set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar together in an electric mixer.
• Add the eggs and beat until incorporated.
• Add flour, baking powder, mixed spice, ground almonds and oats and blend together.
• Fold in 1 cup of the pear puree.
• Pour the mixture into the cake tin, then decorate around the edge with raw almonds.
• Bake in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
• Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. If not eating the cake immediately, wait until it's completely cool before storing it in an airtight container.
• Serve the cake warm with a dollop of double cream or Greek yoghurt.

Notes

The cake tastes best the day it is made, but it will keep in an airtight container for up to three days. Simply reheat in a 150°C oven for 10 minutes before  serving.