"Life is uncertain. Eat cake first." With many of you making a commitment to getting the new year off to a healthier start, please know I am not out to sabotage you. Just giving you some added 'food for thought' as you reexamine your food choices and priorities in the year ahead. If there was one thing I learned from a life coach friend it is that we shouldn't look at life as giving up what we love, it should be about making the choices necessary to enable us to eat what we love. Like cake!
If the new year is a time for reflection and the making of resolutions, isn't the proverbial door also open for rethinking the order in which we eat certain foods during the day as well as what we think is or what is not an indulgence? There are two right answers here: yes and maybe (2015 is the year of choice). Okay let's give this a try. What comes to mind when you hear the words 'breakfast of champions'? For many of us we immediately think 'Wheaties breakfast cereal'. The answer to this question might change after you take a bite of the Pear Cream Cake.
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The recipe for the Pear Cream Cake has been on my 'to make' list for quite some time, years actually (talk about procrastination). The foodie husband of a friend had been making this cake as one of the family's holiday traditions. I think I am remembering the story behind this cake correctly but if not, it is a testimony to my active inventive imagination. My prolonged delay in making this cake may have something to do with this memory as I had unfairly pigeon-holed it into something to be made only around the holidays. Having now made this cake, I have come to see it falling into the category of 'monthly tradition' rather than just 'annual tradition' foods. It might also be one of those must make cakes for weekend guests.
Another stumbling block preventing me from making this cake earlier was the recipe called for serving it with half and half. Sort of like, but not exactly like, having a piece of cake surrounded by a creme anglaise. With more whipped cream in the refrigerator than should be allowed, I thought a sweetened whipped cream topping might be the more perfect finishing touch. Besides what is not to love about sweetened whipped cream?
While this cake looks and tastes like it was 'made from scratch', it is actually made using a cake mix. Yes, it is true I am starting off year sheepishly feeling a little like Sandra Lee. But before you jump to any conclusions or worse yet jump ship off this blog posting, just remember there are 'exceptions to everything'. As much as I generally believe that the 'real' deal is always better than anything 'semi-homemade', this Pear Cream Cake is one of those things falling into the 'exceptions' category.
There are four layers to this cake. The fruit layer, the cheesecake-like layer, the cake layer and the sweetened whipped cream layer. What is surprising about this simple, little easy to make cake is how surprisingly 'light' in taste it really is. And the proportions of fruit to everything else going on in this cake is just right.
Have you ever read a recipe only to discover that in the process of making it you 'misread' it? That happened to me in the making of this cake. When putting together the cake batter layer of the cake I used all of the reserved pear syrup, not a 1/2 cup of the reserved syrup. After mixing the batter, oil, ginger, egg and pear syrup I thought 'this batter seems a little too thin'. So I looked at the recipe again and there it was clearly written in the directions, mix in only 1/2 cup of the reserved syrup. This might have ended my attempt at making this cake, but fortunately the person with the insatiable sweet tooth was out doing errands. Dangling the promise of the Pear Cream Cake along with pretty please asking if he would go back to the grocery store a second time, I was able to get another box of cake mix and another can of pears in heavy syrup. Yippee, the cake baking continued. I am revealing all of this early morning baking chaos with you because I believe there great value in redundancy. So let me just say again 'you need only 1/2 cup of the reserved syrup for this cake'.
After the pears have been cut and arranged on the buttered/oiled piece of parchment paper cut to fit an 8 inch round pan, the cream cheese/apricot layer comes next. This thick cheese mixture goes on in dollops and is carefully spread smoothly over the pears with the use of an offset spatula. Last, but not least, comes the cake batter layer.
Placed in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven the cake bakes for somewhere between 40 and 50 minutes. My baking time was closer to the 50 minute mark. The cake is done when the top is a beautiful golden brown and it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger (sometimes a more reliable test than inserting a toothpick).
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for approximately 10 minutes before unmolding onto a cake stand or platter. As tempting as this cake looks, wait at least an additional 10-15 minutes before piping the sweetened whipped cream over the top. Otherwise you will have a different kind of beautiful mess on your hands. If you don't want to or can't wait that long, you could always serve the sweetened whipped cream on the side.
This cake is equally delicious eaten slightly warm or chilled overnight in the refrigerator. Imagine waking up in the morning, making some coffee and then opening up the refrigerator to see the Pear Cream Cake. Don't be surprised if you experience one of those Louis Armstrong or Michael Buble singing "What a Wonderful World" moments. For those of you with very active imaginations or have had music playing in your head long after it ended, this may not be as strange as it sounds.
Note: This is definitely more of a 'breakfast', brunch, snacking, or 'tea' cake rather than an after dinner dessert kind of cake. Don't let the layers or sweetened whipped cream fool you into thinking it is one of those 'heavy' or overly decadent cakes. Of the many words used to describe the Pear Cream Cake, light would definitely be one of them.
Pear Cream Cake (inspired by a recipe shared by Dan Sullivan, one attributed to A Victorian Lady Bed and Breakfast)
Ingredients
1 can pears (29 ounce size) in heavy syrup
1/2 cup of syrup from the pears
1 box (9 ounce size) yellow cake mix (recommend Jiffy Golden Yellow Cake mix)
1 large egg, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tablespoons confectionary sugar
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray bottom of an 8 inch round cake pan with oil and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Drain pears and reserve 1/2 cup of the syrup.
3. Slice pear halves into wedges, place in baking pan in a sunburst design.
4. In a medium sized bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter and apricot preserves until well blended. Spoon mixture over pears. Smooth over pears with an offset spatula.
5. In another bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of reserved pear syrup, cake mix, ginger, egg and vegetable oil until well blended. Pour batter over the cream cheese/apricot layer.
6. Bake for 40-50 minutes until cake is golden on top and done.
7. Allow cake to cool in pan for approximately 10 minutes before unmolding on a cake plate or platter. Let cool for at least an additional 10 - 15 minutes.
8. Beat whipping cream and confectionary sugar until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a pastry bag. Pipe over top of cake. Serve immediately.
Note: The cake can be made the night before and refrigerated. It is equally delicious served chilled.
Other marking the passage of time, the new year brings us all the opportunity to set new goals and to embark on new adventures. While it feels mostly like a forward thinking tradition, we would be remiss if we did not view some of this time as the chance for reflection. Taking a step back (along with a deep breath) can often create the momentum necessary to help us move forward as well to help us adjust how we see ourselves and everyone else in it. Having 'new eyes' really can take us to places we never thought we might go. The possibilities in the year ahead are as endless as we allow them to be. Wishing you a happy new year and an even happier, more fulfilling journey. Hopefully it is one that also includes cake at breakfast.
