Get Premium access to all the latest content online
Subscribe and view full print editions online... Subscribe
Pear, almond and brown butter bundt cakes
Makes 12 Cakes, Bread and Pastries
Ingredients
- 210g brown rice flour
- 80g ground almonds
- 35g tapioca flour
- 2 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
- 1⁄2tsp table salt
- 1tsp ground cinnamon
- 350g butter
- 3 eggs
- 140g soft brown sugar
- 150g maple syrup
- 1⁄2 vanilla pod, seeds scraped
- 3 large Beurré Bosc pears
For the cinnamon sugar
- 150g caster sugar
- 1⁄2tsp ground cinnamon
- 1⁄2 quantity vanilla custard (see recipe, below)
You will need
- silicone mini bundt moulds or small pudding bowls or muffin tins
For the vanilla custard
- 500g full-fat milk
- 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped or 1tsp vanilla paste
- 6 egg yolks
- 60g caster sugar
- 40g plain flour
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3 and grease 12 moulds.
Sift together the rice flour, ground almonds, tapioca flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl and set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and leave it until it starts to brown – you will know it’s ready when it stops spitting and bubbling and has a wonderful, nutty aroma. Strain it through a fine sieve to remove any milk solids, then leave to cool slightly. Weigh out 235g for use and discard the rest (or keep for another purpose).
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla until combined. Whisk in the browned butter, then fold this mixture into the dry ingredients to form a thick, runny batter.
Peel, core and grate the pears and place them in a sieve over the sink. Gently squeeze out a small amount of liquid – you don’t want the pear completely dry, but you need to remove enough moisture to ensure that the cake isn’t wet when baked. Fold the grated pear through the batter.
Divide the batter between your prepared moulds, filling each one to the top. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the cake springs back when you touch it lightly. Leave to cool in the moulds for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Combine the sugar and cinnamon, and put the vanilla custard into a piping bag. Roll the cakes in the cinnamon sugar to coat completely, and brush off any excess. Fill the centre of each cake with custard and serve.
Vanilla custard
MAKES APPROX. 600ML
Combine the milk and vanilla (seeds and pod) in a heavy-based saucepan, and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Remove the vanilla pod and discard.
While the milk comes to a simmer, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a medium-sized bowl, until slightly pale. Add the flour and whisk to combine.
Pour the milk over the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs.
Return the custard to the saucepan and cook over a low heat for around 5 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
Alternate between using a whisk and a spatula. The custard will become thick, and just start to bubble. As soon as this happens, remove it from the heat and strain the custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Lay a piece of cling film over the surface to avoid a skin forming, then chill the custard to cool it completely. It will keep for 3-5 days, chilled.
This recipe was taken from the May 2020 issue of Food and Travel.
To subscribe today, click here.
Advertisement