UPSIDE PEAR CRUNCH COFFEE CAKE
December 18, 2012 10:16AM
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Updated: January 20, 2013 6:03AM
MAKES 2 LOAVES
Crunch: 1½ cups packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon flour 2 tablespoons butter Coffee cake: 2 pears (Royal Riviera, preferred), cored and sliced into ½-inch slices with 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1 cup sour cream ¼ cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1½ cups flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt
cinnamon
skin on
For cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In bowl, cream butter and sugar together using a spatula or mixer. Add eggs; combine to emulsify. Add sour cream, milk and vanilla extract; stir to combine. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt just to combine.
To assemble: Divide only half of crunch mixture between 2 loaf pans, saving remaining half of crunch for later step. Divide pear slices between pans, laying them down on crunch mixture. Divide batter over pears in each pan. Finally, divide remaining half of crunch mixture over batter in each pan. Bake 30 minutes or until cake is set and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake on rack (this takes nearly 1 hour). Once cool, use knife around edges of cake and invert cake upside down; slice and serve.
Chef Elizabeth Falkner
for Harry & David
