Grappa Cake Italian Pear Cake Recipes

GRAPPA-POACHED PEARS WITH SPECK

Steps:

• In a medium Dutch oven, combine the grappa, sugar, orange zest, salt, red pepper flakes, cloves, peppercorns, rosemary and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar; cook for 5 minutes. Carefully place the pears halves, cut-side down, in the poaching liquid. Cover with a piece of parchment pressed directly to the surface of the liquid, and simmer gently for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pears to cool in the liquid for 5 minutes. Then remove the pears with a slotted spoon to a plate to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Cut each pear half into 4 wedges. Gather a few leaves of arugula and bundle them together with a pear wedge. Lay the bundle on one end of a piece of speck and roll up to enclose; secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining pears, arugula and speck.

GRAPPA CAKE ( ITALIAN PEAR CAKE )

Steps:

• Make pear cake: Preheat oven to 350 and lightly butter and flour an 8 1/2" springform pan, knocking out excess flour.
• In a bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon and baking powder.
• In another bowl, with an electric mixer beat together butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour misture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until it is just combined after each addition. Stir in grappa.
• Peel and core pears; cut into 1/2" dice. Fold pears, raisins or prunes and pine nuts into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle top with remaining tablespoons sugar. Bake cake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it, 45 - 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack and remove side of pan.
• Make grappa sauce: In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together eggs, sugar and cinnamon until thick and pale. In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt butter and stir in egg mixture. Cook sauce, stirring constantly, until it is thickened and registers 165F on a candy thermometer (c. 7 min). Remove bowl from pan; stir in cream and grappa. Serve cake with warm sauce.

ITALIAN PEAR ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 375° F.
• Grease an 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and white sugar together at medium speed until pale in colour and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl between eggs (be sure to get all the way to the bottom of the bowl, where unincorporated butter can hide.. With the mixer on low, mix in the all purpose flour, ground almonds and baking powder. Spoon the batter into the prepared springform pan and use a spatula to even out the mixture. (Batter will be thick and fill the pan only to about an inch thick).
• Prepare pears, by peeling, then cutting in half from the stem end to the bottom. Use a small spoon to remove the core and also scrape away the thick spine that runs up to the stem end. Set aside.
• Arrange the pear halves in a circle on the top, cut side down and with the thin end towards the centre of the cake. Sprinkle flaked almonds over-top. Bake in pre-heated 375° oven for about 35 minutes, or until the cake tests clean when a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake.
• Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin, then run a knife around the outside and carefully remove the ring and base. Dust with icing/confectioners' sugar before serving.

CHOCOLATE PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease and flour a 9 inch cake pan.
• In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a small bowl mix together the yogurt and milk until combined, set aside.
• Peel, core and slice the pears.
• In a large bowl beat on medium speed the eggs, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Then slowly add the vegetable oil and beat to combine.
• Alternately add the dry ingredients with the yogurt mixture. Beat to combine, approximately one minute.
• Pour into the prepared pan, top with pear slices (sliced side down). Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool then dust with powdered / icing sugar before serving. Enjoy!

PEAR CAKE WITH GRAPPA SAUCE

Steps:

• Make pear cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly butter and flour an 8 1/2-inch springform pan, knocking out excess flour.
• In a bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, and baking powder. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy and beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until just combined after each addition, and stir in grappa. Peel and core pears and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Fold pears int batter with raisins or prunes and pine nuts.
• Pout batter into prepared pan and sprinkle top with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake cake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack and remove side of pan.
• Make grappa sauce:
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together eggs, sugar, and cinnamon until thick and pale. In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt butter and stir in egg mixture. Cook sauce, stirring constantly, until thickened and it registers 165°F on a candy thermometer, about 7 minutes. Remove bowl from pan and stir in cream and grappa.
• Serve cake with warm sauce.

PEAR BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Drain pears, reserving the syrup; chop pears. Place pears and syrup in a large bowl; add the cake mix, egg whites and egg. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high for 4 minutes., Coat a 10-in. fluted tube pan with cooking spray and dust with flour. Add batter. , Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar.