There is nothing like a warming cake on these increasingly Autumnal days. I say warming in the flavour notes not in actual temperature because warm cake with icing equals disaster.
I don’t know about you but I feel there is a lot of pressure to bake the right thing during this lock down. For starters there are only so many treats one can realistically eat in a day so whatever you make can’t go stale overnight. Then there is the question of finite pantry resources and the effort to reward ratio involved with going out to get supplies and the strip off shower routine upon return. Lastly while I joke about finite pantry resources, flour shortages are becoming a real thing. Not as in a real real thing - there is still the same amount of flour being milled it’s just that literally everyone is baking hot cross buns right now so getting your hot little hands on a bag is near impossible. So whatever flour you do have you want the gratification at the end of be worthy.
This cake uses zero regular wheat flour and also surprisingly minimal butter considering it makes a whole cake. Now if there is only yourself or a couple of you in your bubble then a whole cake might be pushing the realms of reasonable consumption which is why I propose making mini cakes. All you need is a muffin pan which is handy if you aren’t a regular baker and don’t have multiple cake pans in the same size readily available. Even better is you can halve the recipe and use even fewer supplies and use them to instead try something else delicious.
Once again this cake was originally a Caker recipe but I just happened to have half the butter quantity in a browned format in the fridge along with a jar of caramel I had and used instead of the marmalade icing in the original recipe.
I really like browned butter. If you haven’t jumped on this bandwagon yet you should. It only takes a few minutes to make and I promise it will change your baking life.
This cake would also be delicious with apple so if that’s all you’ve got use it. I used the Beurre Bosc pear varietal (the brown coloured ones) as I like how so soft and juicy the flesh is which I think makes for easy baking.
Brown Butter Pear Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Topping
Makes 2 20cm layers or 12 mini cakes (feel free to halve the recipe for lockdown friendly batch sizes)
Adapted from a recipe by The Caker in Sunday Baking
150g butter, divided into two halves with one half softened
150g brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or bean paste
3 large eggs
100g spelt flour (regular flour also works)
50g fine desiccated coconut
50g ground almond
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 sour cream (or yoghurt)
2 good sized brown pears, cored and diced (keep the skin on)
200g cream cheese (I always use the Philly blocks), room temp
1/2 cup salted caramel (I’ll put recipe below)
Coconut, almonds, more caramel, and petals to decorate
First start by browning half of the butter. Place the unsoftened 75g of butter in a small saucepan and over a medium heat melt and butter and continue to simmer until it gets foamy and all the milk solids start to brown. This will take around 4 minutes but keep an eye on it, you don’t want it to burn. Transfer to a small bowl (metal will speed this up) and place in the fridge or freezer to solidify again.
Once the butter has firmed you can preheat the oven to 180C on bake and grease and line two 20cm take tins with baking paper. If you’re using a muffin tin grease each well thoroughly then create linings for each well the same way you would for your larger cake pan. Cut a large circle then cut inwards to create darts which will help it fit in the hole smoothly. If making a whole recipe prepare 12 muffin wells and prepare 6 if doing a half recipe.
Cream together the softened butter, the browned butter, and the vanilla until nice and fluffy. You may have to scrape down the sides a couple of times. Crack in the eggs one at a time beating well between each addition.
Fold through the flour, coconut, ground almond, and sour cream/yoghurt until everything is just incorporated.
Divide the batter between the two tins (or muffin wells) and scatter the pear cubes evenly across each. I like to use a spatula to press the cubes gently into the cake.
Bake the 20cm cakes for 15 minutes before opening up the oven and rotating 180 degrees (as in a circle not temp). Bake for a further 15 minutes until a skewer comes out clean and the cakes still sizzle when removed. If baking mini cakes then bake for around 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean and the cakes still sizzle.
Leave to cool in their tins before removing.
To make the icing just whip together the cream cheese and caramel until lovely and smooth and slightly aerated. Place one of the cakes on a cake board or a plate and dollop roughly two fifths of the icing on top. Carefully smooth it around the cake being careful not the pick up crumbs. Drizzle or dollop extra caramel on top of the icing because why not. Place the second cake on top and repeat with the remaining icing. I like to put my cake on a turntable and with a palette knife create a swirl and a dreamy imperfect edge of backed up icing (ok like how Harry and Megan’s wedding cake was iced). Drizzle with more of that caramel (try warming it in the microwave to get it runnier) and decorate with coconut, sliced almonds, flowers, or whatever you fancy.
Enjoy its warmth x
***Salted Caramel Recipe***
300ml cream
1 ½ cups white sugar
½ cup water
Around 1 teaspoon of sea salt flakes (adjust to taste)
Place the sugar and water in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. While this is happening pre heat your cream in the microwave until it is hot but not boiling. Continue to simmer the sugar until it starts to turn a lovely dark amber colour. Carefully pour the hot cream into the amber sugar stirring continuously (it helps to put the stirring hand in a rubber dish glove) until the sugar has dissolved into it. Be careful not to let is boil over. Add around half the salt now and then once it is cool enough to taste add the remaining to your preference. Pour into a clean start and refrigerate once at room temperature.