Cardomom Cake with Whole Pears

This sensational loaf cake will impress all of your family and friends with not just the presentation but with it's unique flavor combination.  Just the wine poached pears are a delight on their own with a dollop of whipped cream...The syrup is key in bringing all the flavours together and making it unforgettable! 

What you will need:

For the poaching:
3 medium size pears (I used Bosc pears here) peeled, kept as whole with stems attached
1 cup sugar
6-8 cardamom pods
1-2 cinnamon sticks
750 ml of good quality dry white wine

For cake:
200g unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tbsp of baking powder
1 tbsp ground cardamom
Pinch of salt
100g of white chocolate
1-2 tbsp of milk

How to make it:

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a saucepan that can accommodate the 3 pears and poach for about 30-35 min on medium-low heat. After this time, take the pears out and let cool. Continue boiling the syrup until it gets a little thick and sticky. Set aside and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (170°C).

In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar using an electric mixer until creamy (about 4-5 min). Add eggs one at the time and mix to get it well incorporated before adding the next.
 

 
In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, ground cardamom, and salt. Add the flour mixture and fold it in using a spatula.
 

Pour the batter into a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper on the bottom. Gently press the pears into the batter leaving the stems out. Bake for at least 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
 

Allow cake to cool in the pan. Then gently remove the cake from the pan to a rack to cool completely.
For garnishing, add the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Add the milk and microwave for short intervals and stir between each bout of heat until completely melted (alternatively you can melt your chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water). Let cool slightly then using a spoon (or you can pour it into a Ziploc bag and poke a small hole at the bottom of the bag) drizzle the chocolate over the cake to create nice stripes on top.
 

Serve the cake with reduced pear syrup and enjoy with a nice hot cup of coffee!
 



Recipe courtesy of  Yvette Van Boven "Home Made Winter"