The intense flavor of ginger is best when used in desserts. In this recipe, just a touch of ginger complements the pears and almonds. As they bake, the caramelized pears release sweet juices that mingle with the ground almonds and soak into the moist, buttery cake.

Ingredients:

4 ripe pears, preferably Bartlett or Anjou
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
8 tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup almond milk
1/8 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almond
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/8 cup ginger preserve

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 10-inch spring-form cake pan and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

Peel the pears, halve and core them. Slice two pears thinly. Place in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Set aside the pears.

Dice the remaining two pears into 1/4 inch cubes. Chop preserved ginger finely. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/8 cup of water in a heavy-bottom saucepan and cook until sugar caramelizes. Then add the diced pears and chopped ginger preserve. Cook until the pears are translucent. Set aside the mixture to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and the 1 1/4 cups sugar until creamy. Stir in the melted butter, almond milk, and vanilla. Sift the flour and the baking powder into a separate bowl and stir in the salt. Then combine the ground almond. Gradually incorporate the egg mixture. Stir in the caramelized pear mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the sliced pears over the surface. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely, then release the pan sides and slide the cake onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges to serve.

This recipe can serve 8-12 people.

Note: The recipes on this site are my original creations or have been adapted from existing recipes with the original sources attributed. All recipes on this site have been tested at least once in my kitchen. Any and all errors are entirely mine.

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