Pear Spice Cake with Brown Butter & Dark Chocolate Drip
Friends, hello! I’m sharing a cake today that is very close to my heart: Pear Spice Cake with Brown Butter Frosting & Dark Chocolate Drip. Every year, right around the beginning of Autumn, I make this Pear Spice Cake. It’s a welcoming ritual of sorts, and I look forward to it every year. Over the years, I’ve been tweaking the recipe a little every time I bake it. A tablespoon less sugar, a dash more spice, an extra drop of cream.
Finally, I’ve reached the point where I don’t feel I can make it any better.
In an ideal world, next year I’ll be making this Pear Spice Cake with pears from my very own pear tree. In reality, my pear tree only grew one small offering this year, which was claimed by the wind before it was fully-grown. A girl can dream.
I find myself craving comforting bakes this time of year. Breads, spiced bakes, extra frosting – things that make you feel cozy. Pear cake, lightly spiced, and covered with brown butter frosting is exactly my kind of comfort bake. A nice way to ease into the gloomier months ahead.
Over the years, I’ve received a lot of feedback on this cake. It’s extra pear-y, and lightly spiced with cinnamon + cardamom. Don’t skimp on the cardamom – it adds an air of intrigue and warmth to the cake. The brown butter frosting is so good that I’ve actually considered using it as a body cream. I use double cream in frosting & it is truly the most luscious coating I’ve every created.
Happy baking!
Pear Spice Cake with Brown Butter Frosting & Dark Chocolate Drip
INGREDIENTS
for the cake:
- 225 g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 130 g salted butter, melted & cooled
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 75 ml creme fraiche
- 185 g pears, peeled, grated, and drained (about 4 conference pears firmly packed into a 1-cup measure)
for the frosting:
- 225 g salted butter
- 90 g icing sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp double cream
for the chocolate drip:
- 4.5 tbsp double cream
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 35 g dark chocolate, chopped
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 175°C; grease & flour two 6-inch cake tins & set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom & the sugar. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the cooled melted butter, the egg + egg yolk, & the creme fraiche.
- Using a spatula, add the wet ingredients to the dry & fold together until just combined. Add the grated pear into the bowl & stir evenly throughout.
- Evenly divide the batter between the cake tins & bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Leave the cakes to cool for 10 minutes in the tins, before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Next, make the frosting. Place the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat & let it melt completely. Continue to cook the butter, swirling the pot frequently (but not stirring), until the milk solids turn light golden brown & it smells nutty, about 5-8 minutes. As soon as it’s ready, pour the butter into a small bowl (scraping all of the browned bits in too!) & leave to chill in the fridge until almost solidified, about 30-40 minutes.
- Transfer the cooled butter to a large mixing bowl & beat until light + fluffy, about 3 minutes. Sift in the icing sugar + cardamom and beat until it’s completely smooth. Beat in the cream until the frosting is fluffy & luscious.
- When the cakes at cooled, cut each in half using a sharp serrated knife to give you four layers. Place the first layer on a cake stand & spread frosting evenly across it. Repeat with the remaining layers. Spread the remaining frosting all over the cake & keep in the fridge while you make the glaze.
- Now, make the glaze. In a small saucepan placed over a medium heat, whisk together the cream, butter & the cocoa powder. When combined/melted/smooth, remove the pan from the heat & stir in the chopped chocolate; whisk until silky smooth.
- Leave the glaze to cool ever so slightly – it shouldn’t be warm, but it should still be melty enough to pour. Slowly pour the glaze over the cake & use an offset spatula to spread it out/run down the sides of the cake.
- Serve with a big dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to know! Please leave a comment & a rating below, or tag me on Instagram @imvcki. Thank you so much for supporting Passionate Baker!
Please tag me on Instagram if you bake this cake – I’d love to see it!