With the holidays coming up (did I REALLY just say that? Can the holidays really be "coming up???" SIGH, yes, time is flying), I thought I'd share a recipe that has become popular in my family. The recipe comes from the Amish Cook archives and was featured in The Amish Cook's Baking Book: Homemade Pear Cake. Of course you can have it any time of year, but it just seems like a good cake to have around the holidays. Perhaps I have songs about partridges in pear trees in my head. Pears - in my opinion - are a very underrated fruit. Apples, peaches, and bananas always seem to get the prime shelf space in the grocery store and a spot in peoples' sack lunches. But the lowly pear? Mmmmm, nothing better than a soft, juicy pear! Of course, banana bread, banana muffins, and puddings are popular desserts. But what about "pear cake?" Yes, there is such a thing. It's a really moist cake, not overpoweringly sweet, a great dessert or a slice for breakfast is tasty! Doesn't the cake look delicious? 
Here's the recipe so you can give it a try:
OLD-FASHIONED PEAR CAKE
- 1½ cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
- 2 cups pears, (recommend canned in heavy syrup, approx 1 ½ cans) chopped and drained (reserve juice)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- Glaze Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons syrup from the pears
- Preheat oven to 325
- In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, sugar, and eggs. Beat until creamy.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda.
- Stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture until smooth.
- Add vanilla. Fold in pears and pecans.
- Pour mixture into a well-greased bundt or tube pan.
- Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Glaze: Blend butter and sugar. Add syrup and stir until well mixed and slightly runny. Drizzle over the cake
1 1/2 cups of oil seems like a lot of oil...is this correct?
I just finished this cake. Choppinng pears at 5:30 this morning proved to be good therapy. Helped get my morning started off well. The test of my baking skills will depend on how well my fellow co-workers like it later today.
the cake was a tremendous success at work, putting it mildly. A lady who doesn't like pears at all, had a piece and thought it was fantastic!
Cool, Buddy, so glad to hear that!! It is a great cake!
The pear cake looks yummy . I will definitely give it a try. Keven I personally love everything about your column . I believe I speak for the majority . You have the right to use any word you please , in reference to CHRISTMAS tree. And I also love to hear about your family. ( especially Aster ) It gives the column a personal touch. Keep up the good work. and k
eep sending pictures of our little girl.