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Pear Crumb Cake

17/11/2023

I can offer you the recipe for a delightful Pear Crumb Cake, a tasty and tempting variation of the classic American dessert, with that Italian touch that is indispensable. Before you start, make sure you have all the ingredients. If something is missing, let me know and I will try to suggest an alternative.

Ingredients

  • 3 ripe pears (Williams or Conference, for example)
  • 200 g of all-purpose flour
  • 150 g of granulated sugar
  • 100 g of butter at room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 80 g of brown sugar
  • 60 g of almond flour (or finely chopped almonds)
  • 1 packet of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • Icing sugar for decoration (optional)

For the crumble:

  • 100 g of cold butter
  • 150 g of all-purpose flour
  • 100 g of brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the crumble: in a bowl, mix flour with brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the cold butter cut into cubes and work the ingredients with your hands until the mixture is crumbly. Put in the fridge while you proceed with the base of the cake.

  2. For the base of the cake, beat the eggs with the granulated sugar until you obtain a fluffy mixture. Add the soft butter and continue to work it until it’s well incorporated.

  3. Add the sifted flour with the baking powder, the almond flour, the cinnamon, and the pinch of salt, mixing gently to not deflate the mixture.

  4. Peel the pears, remove the cores, and cut them into medium cubes. Add them to the mixture and gently fold in.

  5. Butter and flour a square or rectangular pan (about 20x20 cm or similar). Pour the batter into the pan and level the surface with a spatula.

  6. Remove the crumble from the fridge and crumble it evenly over the pear mixture.

  7. Bake at 180 °C for about 35-40 minutes, until the surface is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  8. Let the crumb cake cool before dusting with icing sugar, if desired.

Curiosity

The crumb cake is a dessert that comes from the German and Polish tradition, imported to the United States by immigrants. It is characterized by its crunchy and buttery “crumb” which beautifully contrasts with the softness of the underlying cake. By adding pears, you get an even moister and more aromatic version of this classic dessert.

If you don’t have almond flour or prefer an alternative, you could use chopped hazelnuts, or simply replace it with more all-purpose flour. I wish you a good preparation and a delicious tasting!

Pear Crumb Cake