Pear and Walnut Cake

I have few entries/recipes to post today actually. Before I go for a holiday with the family, I better post all or I won't post it when I get back :p

Found this recipe few months ago. Actually I google-ed for an upside-down pear cake then I stumbled upon this recipe. It was from Su from Delectable. I love love love her artwork (as in the cakes. Hey, baking is an art okeh!).

Anyway, Pear and Walnut cake tasted a lot like a carrot cake. Maybe because of the spice in it. I love it! But maybe I could make few adjustment from the recipe, and hey, I think this is a great recipe for orang tua ;) But of course, reduce the amount of sugar ay.

This is not a doughnut!

Pear and Walnut Cake
Adapted from Su Delectable

150g butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cup caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 pear juice (I used Orang juice :p )
2 large peckham pear diced roughly (I used 3 small ones)
1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)
1/3 cup raisins/sultanas
2 tsp ground mixed spice (or all spices)
2 tbsp honey (I omit)

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. Sieve together all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and mixed spice). Mix into the butter mixture alternately with the pear juice. Stir in walnuts, raisins/sultanas and pear.
3. Spoon the mixture onto a 9 inch pan (I used a bundt pan which I think you can use less than 9 inch to get a higher cake). Spread evenly and bake for one hour at 170 degrees.
4. For the frosting, beat 100g cream cheese with 1tbsp honey and chopped walnuts until smooth. Spread on top of the cake when its cooled.

Note:

• Reduce the amount of the sugar. I think this cake was a tad too sweet for my liking. I don't like a spiced cake to be sweet. Maybe you can use around 1 cup.
• Use brown sugar instead of the white sugar. It will enhance the flavour of the pear. Even much better, beat 3/4 sugar with the butter. Use the remaining sugar (1/4) saute it with the pear for a while until it turns brown. Remove from the heat. You'll get a crunchier pear afterward.