Spiced Pear Cake with Browned Butter Icing

We have friends who live about 5 miles away from us.
One would think we would see them all the time. Nope.

As we all get super busy with our lives, little events seem to be the easiest to "blow off" in order to generate more time for our ever expanding schedules.

Her and I decided that this was not acceptable. We talk almost daily, but see each other only about 4 times a year.

3 months in advance we set a date. Yes, we needed that much advance notice to find a day that worked for both of us. Sad to say, that is not the furthest in advance I have had to schedule things.

She had asked me to bring a dessert, and I have been itching to try this recipe.

This cake is so moist and delicious! I love how the cinnamon and nutmeg lend just enough spice to bring out the pear flavor.

Ingredients:

3 Medium pears (peeled, cored, and chopped)

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar

1 ½ Tsp ground cinnamon

¼ Tsp ground nutmeg

2 Cups all purpose flour

1 Cup whole wheat flour

3 Tsp baking powder

1 Tsp salt

1 ½ Cup white sugar

4 Large eggs

¾ Cup milk

½ Cup vegetable oil

½ Cup unsweetened applesauce

Icing:

4 Tbsp salted butter

2 Cups powdered sugar

4-5 Tsp boiling water

1 Tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Arrange oven rack to the lower third of the oven.

2. Preheat to 350

3. Spray two 5x8 loaf pans with non stick spray

4. In a medium bowl, toss the pears with 2 Tbsp white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt

6. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, milk, oil, and applesauce

7. Whisk in the dry ingredients, just until mixed

8. Stir in the pears along with all the juices

9. Divide the batter between the two pans

10. Bake 60-70 minutes

11. Cool completely on a rack

12. When cake is cool, prepare the icing.

13. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat

14. Heat and stir butter for 5-7 minutes or until the butter is lightly browned

15. Remove butter and pour into a bowl

16. Whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar

17. Add 3 tsp of water and the vanilla.

18. Whisk in more powdered sugar a little at a time until it is thick but still pourable

19. Drizzle icing over cakes

Print

Cake Ingredients

Icing Ingredients

This recipe was shared with:
Monday:  Flour Me with Love, Pioneer Momma, New Mama Diaries, Kitchen Table Art, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, A Southern Fairytale, A Pinch of Joy, The Modest Mom Blog, Huckleberry Love, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Uncommon Designs, Jambellish, A Mama's Story, The Chicken Chick, Feeding Big, Boogieboard Cottage, Say Not Sweet Anne, Skip to my Lou, Call me PMC, Sew Can Do, Mom's the Word
Tuesday: Pint Sized Baker, Memories by the Mile, Cornerstone Confessions, My Joy Filled Life, Kathe with an E, Inside Bru Crew Life, The New Mrs Adventures, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Our Table for Seven, The Time Warp Wife, Mini Van Dreams, Mandy's Recipe Box, Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos, Sweet Silly Sara
Wednesday:  Crafty Allie  , Lemoine Family Kitchen, Buns in my Oven, Lady Behind the Curtain, Dizzy Busy and Hungry, Recipes for your Daily Bread, Milk and Cuddles, Wine and Glue, Raising Homemakers, White Lights on Wednesday, A Peek into my Paradise, Gingersnap Crafts, The Newlywed Pilgrimage, Mom's Test Kitchen, Mostly Homemade Mom
Thursday:  Sweet Haute, Lambert's Lately, Sweet Bella Roos, What's Cooking Love, Saving 4 Six, Mix Helen's Country Cottage, Embracing Change, The Nourishing Gourmet
Friday:  The Grits Blog, Play Party Pin, O Taste and See Blog, Coffee with us 3, Hungry Harps, Craft Dictator, Daily Dish, The Better Baker, Endlessly Inspired, Love Bakes Good Cakes, Thirty Handmade Days, Angel's Homestead, Craft O Maniac, The Girl Creative, Morsels of Life, Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom, Cooking with Curls
Saturday:  Six Sisters Stuff , Will Cook for Smiles, Sewlicious Home Decor, Raising Memories, Yummy Healthy Easy
Sunday:  A Peek into my Paradise, Three Mango Seeds  , Denise Designed