GOD SAVE THE CAKE

PEAR COFFEE CAKE

Coffee cakes are not cakes made with coffee ! Coffee cakes are made to be eaten alongside coffee. Therefore they did not appear before the 17th century when coffee was introduced in Europe. The first ones were probably made in Germany or in Northern Europe. There are hundreds of different recipes but most of them have in common to be topped with Streusel (German origin) or icing sugar and can contain fruit and nuts. As often, the immigrants from Europe brought their recipes with them and introduced coffee cakes in America by the mid 19th century.
Nowadays we can find so many different kinds of Coffee Cakes.

INGREDIENTS :

 

For the streusel :

• 210g flour ( 1 ¾ cup )
• 150g brown sugar ( ¾ cup )
• 170g butter cut into small pieces ( 1 ½ sticks )
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt

 

For the cake :

• 113g butter, room temperature ( 1 stick )
• 240g self raising flour ( 2 cups )
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 195g sugar ( 1 cup )
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 236 ml milk ( 1 cup )
• 3 pears ( 400g )

 

METHOD :

For the streusel :

1. Mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.

2. Rub in butter with the tip of the fingers.

3. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the cake :

1. Preheat oven to 180°C ( 350°F ).

2. Sift flour, bakind soda and salt into a bowl.

3. Beat butter and sugar about 3 minutes.

4. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla.

5. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alterning with milk until well combined.

6. Spoon half the batter into pan.

7. Put half pear pieces over batter.

8. Sprinkle streusel mixture over pears.

9. Top with remaining batter and spread evenly.

10. Put the other half pear pieces.

11. Sprinkle streusel mixture evenly.

12. Bake until cake is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

13. Let cool .

ENJOY WITH A CUP OF TEA OR COFFEE ;)