Pear and Alchermes Cake

The Pear and Alchermes Cake is a dessert variation that combines the sweetness of pears with the unique spicy and slightly alcoholic note of Alchermes, the liquor traditionally used in the preparation of Zuppa Inglese. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 3 ripe but still firm pears
• 200 g of sugar
• 200 g of soft butter
• 3 large eggs
• 200 g of all-purpose flour
• 1 packet of baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• 70 ml of Alchermes
• Powdered sugar for decoration (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (356 °F) and position the rack in the middle. Butter and flour a cake pan or line it with parchment paper.
2. Peel the pears, cut them in half and remove the cores. Then, cut the pears into slices that are not too thin.
3. In a large bowl, beat the soft butter with sugar until you obtain a pale and foamy cream. Add the eggs, one at a time, continuing to beat after each addition.
4. Fold in the flour, baking powder, and pinch of salt, sifting them together to prevent lumps, and mix until you have a uniform batter.
5. Gradually add the Alchermes to the batter and gently stir to evenly distribute the liquor.
6. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan, arrange some of the pear slices on top, then pour the remaining batter and finish with a second arrangement of pear slices.
7. Bake the cake for about 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Take the cake out of the oven, let it cool slightly, and then unmold it carefully.
9. Dust the surface with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Curiosity

Alchermes is a brightly red-colored, aromatic and sweet liquor originating from medieval cuisine. It is named after the Arabic “al-quermiz” meaning cochineal, an insect from which the dye that gives it its distinctive red color was originally extracted. Today, it is especially popular in Tuscany and is used in pastry making both to flavor and to add color to desserts.