FOR PEAR CAKE
1 1/4 c Plus 2 tablespoons
-all-purpose flour
1 ts Cinnamon
1 ts Baking powder
1 Stick unsalted butter;
-softened (1/2 cup)
1 1/4 c Plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 lg Eggs
1/3 c Milk
1 tb Grappa
1 Firm-ripe Bose pears
1/2 c Raisins or chopped pitted
-prunes
1/2 c Pine nuts; toasted lightly
-and
; cooled
FOR GRAPPA SAUCE
2 lg Eggs
3/4 c Sugar
1 ts Cinnamon
1 Stick unsalted butter; (1/2
-cup)
1/4 c Heavy cream
1 tb Grappa
Make pear cake:
Preheat oven to 350F and lightly butter and flour an 8 1/2-inch springform
pan, knocking out excess flour.
In a bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, and baking powder. In another
bowl with an electric mixer beat together and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light
and fluffy and beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending
with flour mixture and beating until just combined after each addition, and
stir in grappa. Peel and core pears and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Fold pears
int batter with raisins or prunes and pine nuts.
Pout batter into prepared pan and sprinkle top with remaining tablespoon
sugar. Bake cake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with crumbs
adhering to it, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack and remove side
of pan.
Make grappa sauce:
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together eggs, sugar, and cinnamon
until thick and pale. In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering
water melt butter and stir in egg mixture. Cook sauce, stirring constantly,
until thickened and it registers 165F on a candy thermometer, about 7
minutes. Remove bowl from pan and stir in cream and grappa.
Serve cake with warm sauce.
Makes 1 cake.
Yields
1 servings