Cinnamon Pear Walnut Cake with Toffee Sauce

Are you wondering what to do with 3 very ripe pears in your fruit drawer that you hate to part with? Well that's what moved me to bake this cake and it's a real keeper. 

Adapted from Southern Living via myrecipes.com, I used my big beautiful soft juicy and somewhat over-ripe pears and changed up the recipe by exchanging walnuts for pecans (have you seen the price of pecans lately?) and added some cinnamon to the mix. The cake also took considerably longer to bake than they indicated and I've adjusted my version to reflect the additional time. Also, if you're really smart (I wasn't), give your pan a good coating with shortening and flour it well too. I have a fluted "non-stick" bundt pan that's usually fine with a good shot of cooking spray but unfortunately it really wanted to hold onto half the cake so next time I may even use a parchment lined spring form pan to bake this one up. 

Also, while Southern Living recommended a caramel glaze in their recipe, I just happened to have some toffee sauce on hand from making Sticky Toffee Puddings for my great white hunters, so I warmed a little of it in the microwave and drizzled it on top of the cake. It really doesn't need a darn thing to make it delicious but I have to admit, the sauce kind of puts it over the top.

It's a very moist dense cake that just gets better and better with time. Served with a cup of Twining's finest, it makes for a grand afternoon pick me up, if you can wait that long!

Cinnamon Pear Walnut Cake with Toffee Sauce (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from myrecipes.com)

3 cups peeled and diced very ripe pears (I used 3 Riviera pears)

1 tablespoon sugar

3 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1-1/4 cups vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans

Combine pears with 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl and toss well. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon and set aside. Grease and flour a Bundt pan very well and set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

In bowl of stand mixer, beat together eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla until lightly colored and well mixed. At low speed, add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Fold in pears and walnuts. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check with a toothpick and cake is done when toothpick comes out clean. Baking time will vary depending on the amount of moisture in the pears so start checking cake after 1 hour.

Remove from pan and cool. Serve with sauce drizzled over top.

Toffee Sauce:

3/4 cup butter

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add brown sugar and stir well to combine. Add cream. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Cool slightly and stir in vanilla. Serve warm. Store leftovers in refrigerator and reheat as needed in the microwave. 

A year ago - Sticky Chicky     Two year's ago - Coquille St Jacques

 

Comments

[Lea]

That looks so good - I bet it was fabulous with coffee this morning!

[June]

Lea - I'll let you know. There's one lonely little piece left - ha.

[Tom]

I have to say, your pear cake (with toffee sauce) beats the pants off my favorite apple cake recipe, and I do have three overly ripe pears at my disposal!

[June]

Tom it really goes together quickly - just no voodoo curses if you can't get it out of the pan, OK?

[pam]

Oh my gosh, I love these kind of cakes!

[June]

Pam - I guess we do too because it's gone. I'm so upset! LOL