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Recipes
December 2008

Individual Butter Cakes With Honeyed Pears

By Boulangerie Patisserie Le Croquembouche in MontrealPhotography by Anna Wolf
Image may contain Food Confectionery Sweets Bakery Shop Plant Vegetable Nut and Dessert

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 16 Servings

Ingredients

pears

2

tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

6

Anjou pears (3 1/2 to 3 3/4 pounds), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1

/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

2

tablespoons honey

cakes

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

3

/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for coating cups

1

cup sugar

4

large eggs

1

1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1

1/3 cups all purpose flour

1

teaspoon baking powder

1

/2 teaspoon salt

glaze

1

/2 cup apricot jam

1

tablespoon water

Powdered sugar

Sliced fresh pear

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. pears

    Step 1

    Melt 1 tablespoon butter in each of 2 heavy large skillets over medium-high heat. Add half of pears to each skillet. Sauté until tender and beginning to brown, 10 to 11 minutes. Add half of brown sugar and half of honey to each skillet. Stir until pears are coated and sugar melts, about 1 minute. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to bowl. Cover and chill.

  2. cakes

    Step 2

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray ten 3/4-cup custard cups with nonstick spray, then coat each with butter. Beat 3/4 cup butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat until blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture.

    Step 3

    Divide batter among cups. Make well in center of batter in 1 cup. Spoon 1/4 cup pear mixture into well. Repeat with remaining cups and pear mixture. Bake until tester inserted into cake portion comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes.

  3. glaze

    Step 4

    Turn cakes out onto plates. Bring jam and 1 tablespoon water to simmer in small saucepan, stirring to loosen jam. Brush jam mixture over cakes.

    Step 5

    Sift powdered sugar over edges of cakes. Garnish with pear slices.

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