Ok seriously though what is with daylight savings time? It happens and then I am instantly miserable and filled with despair. I don't know how I made it through so many years growing up on the east coast, where it not only gets darker earlier, but it's also freezing beyond reason. I can't with that noise. I moved to California 5 years ago and I can never go back. Daylight savings time still sucks here, but at least it was 85 degrees today. Anyway, I was feeling gloomy so I made this pear cake for happiness, but still made it look like it was next to a rainy window on a stormy day, even though that is ridiculous because I live in San Diego, and San Diego would never betray me like that...
... So I wasn't really sure what to call this cake. It's not fluffy like a cake; it's moist in a dense way. It's not sweet like a cake; it's fresh and fruity but without all of the excessive sugariness of, say, something that had apples or strawberries in it. It is eggy, but not like a quiche. It's an Italian recipe, but it somehow evokes within me the image of something I might come across in Scandinavia. It's weird. But it's good! It's great for a person who loves dessert but doesn't have the hugest sweet tooth. It's the perfect mildly sweet slice of gluten fruit crack to eat at the end of a hearty a breakfast. This is true daylight savings time breakfast therapy.
Butter Count: 12 Tbsp
P.S. You know what else can cure your daylight savings blues?? Getting featured by @thefeedfeed and also having a chili-off with @c.r.a.v.i.n.g.s all in one week! Everyone be sure to tune in to both of our Instagrams today!
INGREDIENTS:
5-6 pears, skinned and cored
12 Tbsp butter
Juice and zest of one lemon
90 g sugar, separated
1/8 tsp salt
2 eggs
220 g flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Confectioners sugar for dusting
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Cut 4 pears into 1-inch cubes. Add the pear cubes, lemon juice, 2 Tbsp butter, 40 g sugar, and the salt to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the juices have disappeared and the pears have begun to caramelize. Puree the mixture and allow to cool fully.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the bottom of a 10-inch cake pan with parchment paper, pressing it down into the corners. Add the eggs and 50 g sugar to a bowl and whisk until combined.
3. Melt and cool the remaining 10 Tbsp butter.
4. Add the flour and baking powder to a separate bowl and whisk them with a dry whisk. Add half of the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture, whisking until smooth. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix in the milk, vanilla, lemon zest. Fold in the remaining flour mixture. Fold in the pear puree. Fold in the melted butter until well combined.
5. Slice the remaining pear into ~1-cm slices. Pour the batter into the tin. Place the pear slices into the batter in some kind of starburst pattern. Bake about 45 minutes.
6. Cool the cake on a wire rack and dust powdered sugar on top (mainly for looks).