PEAR, RASPBERRY AND ORANGE CAKE WITH MAPLE CREAM CHEESE ICING

PEAR, RASPBERRY AND ORANGE CAKE WITH MAPLE CREAM CHEESE ICING

Recipe

Pears love being in cake. They are on point texturally, hold their shape well, impart a subtle yet pleasant flavour and most of all - they pair well with so many different flavours. Here I’ve incorporated some tart, juicy raspberries and familiarly zesty orange rind to bring some floral accents out of the pear. Maple, with all it’s toasty homely sweetness, is the perfect addition to make my signature vanilla bean cream cheese icing sing even louder.

SERVES 12

FOR THE CAKE

180g butter, softened
150g light muscovado sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of one unwaxed orange
2 organic eggs
200g spelt flour, or regular flour
50g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
170ml sour cream
2 small ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into segments
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen

FOR THE FILLING

3 tbs low sugar raspberry jam

FOR THE MAPLE VANILLA CREAM CHEESE ICING

100g butter, softened
100g light muscovado sugar
85ml pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
220g cream cheese

TO TOP WITH

Berry coulis for drizzling
Toasted coconut flakes
Crushed freeze-dried raspberries
Fresh flowers (optional) 

  1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line 2 x 22cm tin with baking paper.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, vanilla and zest together until pale, light and fluffy.
  3. Mix in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Gradually add the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and soda, followed by the sour cream. Be careful not to over mix.
  4. Evenly divide the batter between the 2 cake tins and dot in the pear segments and raspberries.
  5. Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until golden in colour, springy to the touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
  6. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
  7. Meanwhile, make the maple cream cheese icing. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, maple and vanilla together until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the cream cheese until smooth.
  8. Once the cakes are fully cooled, apply the jam to one layer and place the other on top. Ice the top of the cake neatly, and decorate with a drizzle of berry coulis.
  9. Decorate as desired.
  10. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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