Autumn Pear Cake with Cinnamon and Walnuts

This Pear Cake recipe glows with the golds, a bright yellows, sparkling oranges and warm browns of the season. It features pears, cinnamon, walnuts and the warmth of my heart.

"No spring, nor Summer Beauty bath such grace,
As I have seen in one Autumnall face".

John Donne

Note: You can also use the cardamom for this recipe instead of the cinnamon.



Makes one 10-inch round cake
Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the top:

• 4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 to 3 large ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored, and half
• 1 cup walnuts, crushed

For the cake:

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• lemon zest from 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup yogurt, at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup honey

Directions:

For the top:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Melt the butter in an ovenproof cast-iron frying pan, about 10-inches in diameter. Add the brown sugar and honey and stir until blended. Cook for about 2 minutes. Take off the heat. Arrange the pear halves in circle over the melted honey-sugar mixture. Sprinkle the walnuts between and over the pears. Set aside.

For the cake:

Whisk the flour, cinnamon, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl whisk to combine the yogurt and vanilla extract.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, honey and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the yogurt, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl as necessary, and beat only enough to incorporate the ingredients after each addition.

Spoon the batter over the pear halves in the skillet and smooth level. Bake the cake until nicely browned and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, for about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the skillet on a rack for 15 minutes.

While still hot, place a serving plate on top of the frying pan, bottom-side up. Holding them together with oven gloves, flip over. Carefully remove the skillet and let the cake cool on the plate on the rack. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream.