Western-Slope Pear Cake with Ginger Cream
By America's Test KitchenPublished on November 3, 2011
Yield
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ¾ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon table salt 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, 6 tablespoons softened but still cool, 1 tablespoon melted⅔ cup packed (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 1 cup heavy cream 1 (15-ounce) can pear halves in syrup, drained and cut into ¼-inch slices1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and salt together in medium bowl. Beat 6 tablespoons butter and 2/3 cup brown sugar with electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Beat in fresh ginger and 1/4 cup cream until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients in two batches.
- Pour batter into greased 9-inch cake pan. Arrange pear slices in fan-shaped pattern on top of batter and lightly press slices into batter. Scatter remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar on top of pears and drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with a few crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, invert onto cutting board, and invert again onto wire rack to finish cooling.
- When ready to serve, whip remaining 3/4 cup cream, confectioners’ sugar, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger to soft peaks. Slice cake and serve with whipped cream.
- Make Ahead:
- This cake tastes better if made a day in advance. Just wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature. Whip the cream close to serving time.
Yield
Serves 10 to 12Ingredients
1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon table salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, 6 tablespoons softened but still cool, 1 tablespoon melted
⅔ cup packed (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 cup heavy cream
1 (15-ounce) can pear halves in syrup, drained and cut into ¼-inch slices
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Ingredients
1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon table salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, 6 tablespoons softened but still cool, 1 tablespoon melted
⅔ cup packed (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 cup heavy cream
1 (15-ounce) can pear halves in syrup, drained and cut into ¼-inch slices
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Ingredients
1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon table salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, 6 tablespoons softened but still cool, 1 tablespoon melted
⅔ cup packed (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 cup heavy cream
1 (15-ounce) can pear halves in syrup, drained and cut into ¼-inch slices
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Why This Recipe Works
This Western-Slope Pear Cake with Ginger Cream recipe takes just minutes to prepare, but looks elegant and packs solid flavor. We used canned pear halves for pears that are guaranteed to be ripe and, as an added bonus, are already peeled. Also, the canned pears didn’t leach liquid into the cake the way fresh pears would. Combining ground and fresh ginger gave us a deep, rounded ginger flavor. And for even more punch, we added ground ginger to sweetened whipped cream to serve alongside the cake.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and salt together in medium bowl. Beat 6 tablespoons butter and 2/3 cup brown sugar with electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Beat in fresh ginger and 1/4 cup cream until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients in two batches.
- Pour batter into greased 9-inch cake pan. Arrange pear slices in fan-shaped pattern on top of batter and lightly press slices into batter. Scatter remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar on top of pears and drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with a few crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, invert onto cutting board, and invert again onto wire rack to finish cooling.
- When ready to serve, whip remaining 3/4 cup cream, confectioners’ sugar, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger to soft peaks. Slice cake and serve with whipped cream.
- Make Ahead:
- This cake tastes better if made a day in advance. Just wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature. Whip the cream close to serving time.
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