A couple of cakes - just for fun.

After my cooking class at UT the other night, I am pretty sure that I am more than an elementary baker. It may make me sound snobby, but I have some standards on the quality of my ingredients and I already knew how to proof yeast. I also know how to tell if bread and pound cake (BO-ring) are done cooking. The ones the instructor cooked for us -> were not.

I decided to see if I could create some original recipes using things that I like and ingredients that I have. I read about nut meals and fruit based cakes and had some sparks fly. Creativity is fun.

Pecan Meal Cake
3 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously butter a springform cake pan (I used my square one).

Beat the eggs until they increase in volume, add in the brown sugar, vanilla, brandy and buttermilk. Stir in the pecan meal. Sift the flour and baking powder, then add them in small amounts to the wet batter.

Bake 30-45 minutes, until the cake passes the toothpick test.


Fresh Pear Cake
1/2 cup unsalted butter (Plugra!)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup pastry flour
3 ripe pears (I used the Bartlett kind)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously butter a springform pan (used my 9" round here).

Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. Beat together the butter, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Fold in the dry ingredients. Transfer the batter to the pan.

Slice the pears and lay them skin side up. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the cake passes the toothpick test.

I plan to cover the top of the cake with more fresh pear slices and drizzle with honey - doesn't that sound good?