Pear and Mandarin Cake

The pear and mandarin cake is a simple and fragrant dessert, perfect for the autumn or winter season when these two delicious fruits are fully ripe. Here are the ingredients and the procedure.

Ingredients

• 200g of all-purpose flour
• 100g of granulated sugar
• 100g of soft butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 packet of baking powder
• juice and grated zest of 2 untreated mandarins
• 2 ripe but still firm pears
• 50g of flaked or chopped almonds
• a pinch of salt
• powdered sugar (for decoration)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F) and butter and flour a 22-24 cm diameter cake pan.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream the soft butter with the sugar using an electric mixer until it becomes fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, continuing to mix.
4. Fold in the sifted flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Mix well until the mixture is homogeneous.
5. Add the mandarin juice and grated zest to the batter and gently mix.
6. Peel the pears, remove the cores and cut them into slices or cubes, then fold them into the batter.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and sprinkle the surface with the almonds.
8. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack before dusting with powdered sugar.

Serve the pear and mandarin cake warm or at room temperature. This dessert pairs wonderfully with a glass of sweet wine, such as a Passito di Pantelleria.

Curiosity

The pear and mandarin are very versatile fruits in pastry, bringing moisture and a delicate flavor to desserts. Almonds, with their crunchiness and aroma, create a pleasant contrast in both taste and texture.