Poached Pear Cardamom Cakes

Cardamom Cakes scream fall to me, especially when its paired with Poached Pears and Maple Cream.  I’ve been waiting for the first leaf to fall so I could start baking with Autumn spices. The calendar may say early September and it may still be hot outside, but its all spices and pears in my kitchen.

This recipe is a slight adjustment from what I had planned to make. For the past two years I’ve been making this cake as a loaf with the whole pears baked in a row down the center. Everything looks beautiful and taste delicious. However, if you so much as attempt to lift the loaf cake, those pears want to fall right through. (heavy little suckers!). I found the initial look to be appealing, though its function not so great for serving. Modification here we come!

I’m planning to make a dessert for a family holiday get together later this year and I thought, what would look better…a sad little slice with part of a pear, or your own personal mini cake with a whole pear and extra maple cream? Ding ding, we like personal desserts in my family!! Hence the creation of the Mini Poached Pear Cardamom Cakes. I’m now armed for future holiday battle with a tasty and beautiful spice cake.

Tips for Poached Pears

• Choose pears equal in size and not super large with beautiful stems.
• Peel your pears leaving the stem intact.
• Use white wine for a light colored poached pear and red wine for reddish pink colored poached pear. (for this recipe I used white wine)
• Once the wine has started to bubble and the sugar is dissolved, let your pears simmer for about 30-40 minutes.
• Gently remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set on a paper towel, stem up to absorb any extra runoff liquid.
• Gently place pears on top of cakes with finger tips.
• Also check out this recipe for Wine Poached Pears!

Tips for the Cardamom Cakes

• Use three mini 4 inch spring form cake pans or regular 4 inch cake pans. For this recipe I used 4 inch mini cheesecake pans.
• Whip eggs and sugar together until fluffy before adding to flour mixture to create a smooth batter.
• Adjust the amount of cinnamon and cardamom to your personal spice level preference.
• Let cakes cool in tin 10-15 minutes before removing.
• Cake tops can be cut while still warm once removed from tins.
• Take a 1 1/2 inch biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to remove a 1/4 -1/2 deep circle from the top center of each cake. I press just enough to cut the shape of the circle and then remove gently with a spoon. Take out just enough cake for your pear to rest comfortably on top.

Tips for Maple Cream

• Make sure your cream cheese is room temperature to prevent clumping.
• Beat the cream cheese vanilla and maple syrup together on medium high speed until smooth and creamy.
• Add powdered sugar slowly and beat until thick frosting is formed.
• Pour almond milk while on  medium speed and whisk until desired consistency.
• More milk will create a thinner cream. (I use just enough milk to make it pourable, but not a thin liquid)
• Pour maple cream onto over the pear and sprinkle a dusting of cinnamon and/or nutmeg.

Mini Poached Pear Cardamom Cakes

Mini Poached Pear Cardamom Cakes are full of spice, topped with cinnamon and white wine poached pears, with a pour of Maple Cream Sauce.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings: 3 cakes

Ingredients

Cardamom Cake

• 2 (100 grams) Eggs
• 1 Cup (220 g) Brown Sugar lightly packed
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 1/3 Cups (170 g) All Purpose Flour
• 5 Tbsp (75 g) Unsalted Butter, melted
• 1/3 Cup (70 g) Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk or Whole Milk
• 1 tsp Cardamom Powder
• 1 ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
• ¼ tsp Kosher Salt

Pears

• 3 Ripe Bosch Pears
• 1 Cup (250 ml) Water
• 1 Bottle White Wine
• 1 cup (200 g) Granulated Sugar
• 3 Cinnamon Sticks

Maple Cream Sauce

• 8 oz Cream Cheese room temperature
• 3 Tbsp Maple Syrup
• 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cup (120 g) Powdered Sugar
• ¼ Cup (60 ml) Vanilla Almond Milk
• Pinch of Cinnamon and Nutmeg for sprinkling

Instructions

• Prepare Cakes and put in the oven first. While cakes are baking poach your pears. Once cakes are out of the oven and cooling, make your Maple Cream Sauce!

Cardamom Cakes

• Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C) and prepare three 4 inch cake pans with baking spray.
• In a small bowl, melt the butter and add to the milk, set aside.
• Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a separate large bowl and whisk together.
• Using bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment on medium high speed, beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is thick and frothy.
• Pour the frothy egg and sugar mixture into the flour mixture. Then stir in the milk and butter.
• Using a whisk gently combine all ingredients.
• Divide the batter amongst the three cake pans. Place the three small cake pans on a cookie sheet.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
• Remove cake pans from cookie sheet and set onto cooling rack.
• Let cool for 10-15 minutes before flipping cakes upside down and removing from cake pans. (this is only to serve cakes warm, you can also allow them to completely cool and place on serving dishes to reheat)
• Take a 1 1/2 inch biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to remove a 1/4 -1/2 deep circle from the top center of each cake. I press just enough to cut the shape of the circle and then remove gently with a spoon. Take out just enough cake for your pear to rest comfortably on top.
• Place each cake with center hole on a serving plate. Gently set a poached pear onto the center hole of each cake.
• Pour Maple Cream Sauce over the pear and sprinkle with cinnamon and/or nutmeg.

Poached Pears

• Peel Pears leaving the stem intact.
• Using a medium sized sauce pot pour in water, wine, and sugar. Add in cinnamon sticks and pears.
• Bring liquid to a soft boil until sugar is dissolved. (stir gently with wooden spoon, do not damage pears).
• Once sugar is dissolved, turn temperature down to simmer and let sit for 35-40 minutes.
• Gently remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set on a paper towel, stem up to absorb any extra runoff liquid.
• Gently place pears on top of cakes with finger tips.

Maple Cream Sauce

• Place cream cheese, vanilla, and maple syrup into the bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment. Beat on medium high speed until smooth and creamy.
• Slowly spoon in powdered sugar until a thick frosting forms.
• Pour in milk while on medium speed and mix until desired consistency.
• More milk will create a thinner cream. (I use just enough milk to make it pourable, but not a thin liquid)

did you make this recipe?Mention @twocupsflour or tag #twocupsflour!