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Makes
A 9 inch layer cake or 16 cupcakes or bake in a rectangular 12x16 pan
Author Notes
This cake was adapted from a recipe by John Barricelli for Everyday Food. I had planned on entering in the pear contest but missed the deadline. He made it with apples I have made it with both. Actually pears and apples are almost interchangeable for me I often mix them in recipes. The cake is so moist and delicious and so easy to make. No stand or hand held mixer it's only gently stirred and poured into your cake pan or cupcake tins, The pictures you see are the cupcakes I made with this recipe proudly iced by my grand daughters Maia 6 and Laila 3. They feel that adding copious amounts of multi-colored sanding sugar is necessary and encouraged. I am going to make it again and post more pics later. I generally don't ice this cake I find it unnecessary just a dusting of powdered sugar, served warm with ice cream or whipped cream. When I do ice it I make either a brown sugar swiss meringue buttercream or a cream cheese icing —sdebrango
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Ingredients
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1/2 cup
1 stick melted butter
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2 cups
all purpose flour
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2 teaspoons
baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon
baking powder
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2 teaspoons
cinnamon
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1/2 teaspoon
ground ginger
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1/4 teaspoon
nutmeg
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3/4 teaspoon
salt
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2 cups
packed light brown sugar
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2
large eggs at room temperature
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4
pears (I used starkrimson) 2 grated 2 diced (If using apples I like granny smith
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softened butter for pans
Directions
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 9 inch round baking pans, brush bottom with butter and lay parchment round, butter bottom and sides and flour. If you are making cupcakes this makes 16 so line 2 cupcake tins.
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Wash and peel your pears, grate 2 and dice 2. In medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and powder, spices and salt. In a large bowl whisk melted butter, brown sugar, eggs together then add pears, stir until well combined. Add flour mixture and stir just until combined. Divide batter into pans or cupcake tins.
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Bake cake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. For cupcakes approximately 20-25 minutes, but start checking at 15 minutes. Remove from oven let cool in pan for 10 minutes then invert onto cake rack to cool.
I have loved to cook for as long as I can remember, am self taught learning as I go. I come from a large Italian family and food was at the center of almost every gathering. My grandfather made his own wine and I remember the barrels of wine in the cellar of my grandfathers home, I watched my mother and aunts making homemade pasta and remember how wonderful it was to sit down to a truly amazing dinner. Cooking for me is a way to express myself its my creative outlet. I enjoy making all types of food but especially enjoy baking,
I live in Brooklyn, NY, and I share my home with my two dogs Izzy and Nando.
I like to collect cookbooks and scour magazines and newspapers for recipes. I hope one day to organize them.
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