It’s September! Are you as excited about September as I am? It’s finally more relaxed outside, and I can’t wait to wear jeans and sweaters again. This was originally written last week. Now we are expecting a massive heatwave over the next seven days. Temperatures in the 30’s C range! It’s a good thing you don’t wear jeans or sweaters.
I’m starting my favorite season by baking with a fruit that I rarely eat. Since I rarely eat fruit, I can count on one finger how many years I have bought in the last five years.
Regarding the limited fruits I consume, I don’t know why I gravitate toward apples. It was time to experiment with something different. I already had an Apple Pie Cake.
How To Make This Pear Cake
This is a butter cake made using the standard creaming technique. Like most other recipes, I started with my Vanilla cake and then added/modified the ingredients while testing.
The cake contains freshly grated pear, which adds a lot of moisture. Toasted walnuts are added for flavor and crunch. The taste and texture that I wanted were best achieved with grated pears.
You can leave out the honey and make a delicious vanilla buttercream.
Poached Pears
You can use the poached pear as a decoration, but they are not required. If you feel up to it, they’re easy to make.
My first batch of pears was either too soft or I overcooked them, which turned out mushy. The second batch was much better. The poached pear from Epicurious was modified.
You can poach the pears the day before so that they have time to rest in the liquid. I would also bake the cake layers the day before because I like to spread my cake-making out!
This Pear & Walnut cake is moist and dense. If you want something light and fluffy, there is a better cake. It’s delicious!
This cake’s texture is comforting and delicious. Spices and walnuts also add unique flavors. It wasn’t until I made my Walnut cake several years ago that I realized how much I loved walnuts.
Tips to make this Pear & Walnut cake with Honey Buttercream
For three 8” pans, 1.5x the recipe. To make three 8″ pans, multiply the recipe by 1.5.
You can make cupcakes by reducing the baking time. Start checking after 15 minutes.
Poached pears can be used as a garnish. They should be prepared a day ahead.
This recipe can be made with any pear. I used Anjou and Bartlett Pears, but you could use any other kind.
Toasting walnuts before serving will enhance their flavor. They should be toasted for 5-10 minutes at 350F until fragrant.
You can bake the cake layers ahead of time and freeze them for up to three months. Remove 2-3 hours before assembling.
Frosting can be frozen for up to 3 months or refrigerated in an airtight container for 1 week. Bring the frosting to room temperature and re-whip it before use.
Check out my Swiss Meringue Buttercream for troubleshooting tips.
Use Simple Syrup to moisten your cakes.
Check out this How To Bake Flat Cake Layers article to learn how to bake flat cake layers!
Ingredients
Poached Pears
3 cups of water
1 cup honey
Lemon juice 2 Tbsp
One cinnamon stick
Peel four small pears
Pear & Walnut Cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp
Unsalted Butter, 3/4 cup, room temperature
Sugar granules 3/4 cup
1/4 cup brown sugar packaged
Three large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup of buttermilk at room temperature
1 cup chopped nuts toasted
About 2 cups of shredded pears. 2 pears peeled and cored.
Honey Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
Four large egg whites
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 cups unsalted Butter at room temperature
1/4 cup honey
NSTRUCTIONS
Poached Pears
Honey, lemon juice, and cinnamon should be placed in a medium-sized pot (large enough to cover the pears). Bring to a rolling boil on medium-high.
Add the pears to the pot and cook on medium heat until tender. Turn them occasionally. (Approx 20-30 minutes, depending on how complex your pears were – insert a sharp blade for a test). Make sure to cook quickly.
Remove pears gently with a slotted teaspoon and place in a medium-sized bowl. Cover with honey syrup so that the pears are completely covered. Place in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
If desired, place the honey syrup in a medium-sized pot the next day and simmer on medium heat for 10-15 minutes to reduce. This can be drizzled over the pear slices or the cake. *