Pear and pecan nest together in this crumb/cake hybrid that might become a fixture on your baking list
Ravnet Gill
Pears and hazelnuts are such a perfect match: they're a classic combination I'll always remember, in pavlovas, tarts, crumbles, and cookies. Today it's a pear and hazelnut cookie hybrid that you make into wheat flour (be warned: it's much tastier on its own) that you sprinkle on top before baking.
- Pear and hazelnut crumb cake
- Preparation 30 min
- Cook 1 hour 30 minutes +
- Portions 10-12
- For the broken
- 50 grams of wheat flour
- 50g giant oats
- 40 grams of dark brown sugar
- 20 gr hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 80g cold unsalted butter, diced
- For cake dough
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 125 ml of rapeseed oil or other neutral oil
- 200 grams of caster sugar
- Peel of ½ lemon
- a pinch of salt
- 4 eggs
- 150 grams of wheat flour
- 100 grams of wheat flour
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- 300g pears, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-3 cm cubes
Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
For the crumbs, mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add the cooled butter and, using your fingertips, rub together until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Place this dough on a lined tray and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown all over. Let it cool slightly, then break into a crumbly dough and set aside while you make the cake batter.
Line the base and sides of a 20 cm cake pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl with a wooden spoon, or in a stand mixer with the paddle attached, mix the butter, oil and sugar for five to seven minutes, until smooth and pale. Add the lemon zest and salt, mix again, then beat the eggs one at a time. In a second bowl, mix the flour and baking powder and add to the cake mix.
Stir the chopped pears through the batter, then pour into the prepared tin and sprinkle with the crumb mixture. Bake in the center of the oven for 50 minutes to an hour and 10 minutes, or until the skewers come out clean. Remove from the oven, let cool and serve with creme fraiche, a drizzle of cream or custard.
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