Caramelised Pear Breakfast Cakes
There’s something especially comforting about baking with pears in the middle of winter.
This week, we’re sharing a lovely recipe for Caramelised Pear Breakfast Cakes - soft, gently spiced little cakes with pear, ginger and orange, finished with a sticky caramelised topping.
They’re delicious served warm with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt (or a little whipped cream if you’re feeling indulgent), and are just the thing to enjoy with a hot cuppa on a chilly afternoon.
Even better, they’d make a beautiful little bake to wrap up and drop on the doorstep of someone who could do with a bit of comfort this winter.
Ingredients
(makes 12 muffin size cakes)
3-4 medium pears (peeled and cored)
70g (7 tbsp) butter
100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
185g (1 + 1/3 cups) flour (preferably high grade)
135g (2/3 cup) sugar
1 + 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
45g (3 tbsp) crystallised ginger (finely chopped)
3 eggs
125ml (1/2 cup) canola oil
5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract or essence
1+ 1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C.
To prepare the pears, cut 2 pears through the waist, then cut 1cm slices lengthways through the “bottom” halves. Grate the remaining ‘top’ halves and make up to 1 cup (150g) by grating remaining pears.
To prepare the caramelised pears, melt butter and pour evenly into 12 muffin tins. Sprinkle brown sugar (about 2 heaped tsp) and arrange 2 pear slices in the base of each tin.
Place the tins in the refrigerator to set the butter while you prepare the breakfast cake mixture.
In a bowl, sieve together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, ground ginger and salt Add crystallised ginger and toss together.
In a second bowl place eggs, oil, vanilla and orange zest and lightly whisk together. Add grated pears and mix until just combined.
Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients until just combined (do not over mix or the breakfast cakes will be tough). Carefully pour batter over pears to fill muffin tins.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to stand in the tin for 5 minutes before removing.
Serve upside down, with Greek style yoghurt or if you prefer 50% yoghurt folded with 50% lightly whipped cream.
3-4 medium pears (peeled and cored)
70g (7 tbsp) butter
100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
185g (1 + 1/3 cups) flour (preferably high grade)
135g (2/3 cup) sugar
1 + 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
45g (3 tbsp) crystallised ginger (finely chopped)
3 eggs
125ml (1/2 cup) canola oil
5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract or essence
1+ 1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C.
To prepare the pears, cut 2 pears through the waist, then cut 1cm slices lengthways through the “bottom” halves. Grate the remaining ‘top’ halves and make up to 1 cup (150g) by grating remaining pears.
To prepare the caramelised pears, melt butter and pour evenly into 12 muffin tins. Sprinkle brown sugar (about 2 heaped tsp) and arrange 2 pear slices in the base of each tin.
Place the tins in the refrigerator to set the butter while you prepare the breakfast cake mixture.
In a bowl, sieve together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, ground ginger and salt Add crystallised ginger and toss together.
In a second bowl place eggs, oil, vanilla and orange zest and lightly whisk together. Add grated pears and mix until just combined.
Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients until just combined (do not over mix or the breakfast cakes will be tough). Carefully pour batter over pears to fill muffin tins.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to stand in the tin for 5 minutes before removing.
Serve upside down, with Greek style yoghurt or if you prefer 50% yoghurt folded with 50% lightly whipped cream.