Quick Old-Fashioned Pear Cake

 

1 1/2 cups flour, stir to lighten, then measure, (plus additional, below)

3 T. cornstarch

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup sugar (plus additional, below)

3 extra large eggs

5 T. butter, room temperature

1 tsp. pear brandy, vanilla or almond extract

1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

4 pears, peeled, two in chunks, 2 in 3/8″ slices (make sure pears are fully ripe)

2 T. flour (for pear chunks)

2 T. sugar (sprinkle on top)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9″ spring form pan. In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and 3/4 cup sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add brandy or extract of choice. Next add the dry ingredients, alternating with the sour cream: Add about 1/3 of the flour, then 1/2 of the sour cream, the next 1/3 of the flour mixture, the final bit of sour cream and then the remaining four mixture. Beat all additions on slow, as little as possible, scraping down after each addition. Toss pear chunks in the two T. flour, then gently mix in by hand, holding back about 5 or 6 chunks for the top. Scrape into prepared pan, level, and then top with the pear slices in a ring. Add the remaining chunks to the center. Sprinkle with the additional 2 T. sugar. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the top just barely begins to color around the edges and edges are firm; it’s ok if the very center is just a little soft. Do not over bake. Remove from oven and rest 10 minutes, then run a knife around the sides and release the spring form. Cool and serve. Note: If using canned pears, add an additional T. of cornstarch to the batter.