Wine-poached pear cake

Name: Wine-poached pear cake
Ingredients: 6 medium pears (900 g); 400 ml Portuguese wine; 1/2 teaspoon ground anise; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 3 tablespoons sugar; 8 eggs; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 8 tablespoons sugar; 8 tablespoons oil; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 8 tablespoons flour; 10 g baking powder

Dessert - Wine-poached pear cake by Anuta B. - Recipia

Wine-poached pear cake starts with Portuguese pears and spices, simmered until tender. The fluffy sponge bakes almost all the way through before the fruit and reduced syrup go on top, and the final 7 minutes bring them together in a glossy layer. I cut the pears into uneven pieces, so each slice has a different feel. Preparation: 20 minutes. Cooking: 62 minutes. Resting: 60 minutes. Total time: 142 minutes. Servings: 8. Approximately 415 kcal and 8 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the pears

6 medium pears (900 g)
400 ml Portuguese wine
1/2 teaspoon ground anise
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons sugar

For the sponge

8 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons sugar
8 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons flour
10 g baking powder

Preparation

1. Peel the pears and cut them into uneven pieces. Put them in a small saucepan with 400 ml Portuguese wine, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground anise and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, until tender. 2. Remove the pears and let them cool. Boil the spiced liquid for another 15 minutes, until its volume has reduced by more than half. 3. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with 1/8 teaspoon salt until stiff peaks form, then add 8 tablespoons sugar and beat until it dissolves. 4. Mix the egg yolks with 8 tablespoons oil, added gradually, then fold in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 4 tablespoons flour. 5. Stir 4 tablespoons of the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture, then pour it over the remaining egg whites. Gently fold in the other 4 tablespoons flour and 10 g baking powder. 6. Heat the oven to 180°C. Line a 25 × 35 cm baking pan with parchment paper, pour in the batter and bake for 25 minutes, until the sponge is almost baked through and lightly browned. 7. Arrange the cooled pears over the sponge, pour the reduced wine syrup on top and bake for another 7 minutes. Let the cake cool for 60 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Choose firm, ripe pears that will hold their shape during the 15 minutes of simmering; very soft ones may fall apart sooner. The wine goes straight into the saucepan, and for an alcohol-free version you can replace it with 400 ml red grape juice. Keep the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The crumb is reminiscent of a fruit sponge cake, with the pears and syrup on top; it contains eggs and gluten from wheat flour. A slice goes well with black tea.