I promised Autumn baking and here we go. After posting five savoury recipes in a row, it’s time for CAKE! This is my Pear, Almond and Honey Cake which I also like to call my Autumn Cake. You can serve it on its own and if doing so, it’s really good served warm. Or top it with a cream cheese icing for something altogether more indulgent. I like it both ways. An accompanying mug of tea or coffee is obligatory. Baking this will make your kitchen will smell so Autumnal, that you won’t need any smelly candles to replicate the aromas.
The pears are local pears that my friend gave me. The honey was sent to me by Jane of @beezlarder - her Instagram stories of food, ingredients and cooking are some of my favourites. The dry ingredients are a combination of flour and ground almonds. Buying ground almonds in the baking section of the supermarket works out very expensive. Especially so at this time of year when many are getting down to Christmas baking. So… here’s my money saving suggestion. Just buy a packet of whole almonds or even flaked almonds and blitz them into ground almonds using a food processor or blender. It works out about half the price.
Equipment wise, you don’t need a mixer. The cake is made by combining the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients using a spoon. The frosting requires the butter and cream cheese to be beaten together, but this can be done with a hand whisk if you are minded to do so.
I like this cake as a mid-morning / afternoon treat. But it’s not inconceivable that you could eat this cake for a weekend breakfast / brunch too. Scroll on for the recipe for my Pear, Almond & Honey Cake.
Pear, Almond & Honey Cake
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
1 ¼ cup self-raising flour
1 cup almond flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
Finely grated zest of one unwaxed lemon
2 eggs
½ cup olive oil
¾ cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
Juice of a lemon
2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and chopped into bite size pieces.
For the frosting
150g full fat cream cheese
50g butter
4 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C / Gas 4. Line a small to medium size round cake tin with baking paper.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the almond flour, salt and lemon zest and mix together.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the honey, olive oil, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat together and add to the flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, mix until the batter is smooth. Add the chopped pears and mix them though the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 45—50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.
Next make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter together, add the honey and vanilla extract and combine.
When the cake is cool, carefully remove it from the tin and place it on a serving plate. Spread the frosting over the top of the cake and add an extra drizzle of honey and some finely grated lemon zest. Serve at room temperature.
Store any leftover cake in the fridge for up to three days.
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