PEAR CARDAMOM CAKE W/ CINNAMON CRUMBLE

makes one 20cm/8inch cake

for the cake

300 g all-purpose flour, plus 1 tbsp for the pears
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp whole cardamom seeds, finely ground
100 ml sour cream
120 ml whole milk
100 g unsalted butter, room temperature
250 g granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 medium pears (ca. 400 g), ripe but still firm, peeled, cored and cut into 1,5 cm pieces, tossed in 1 tbsp of flour
pearl sugar (optional)

for the cinnamon crumble

30 g all-purpose flour
40 g granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
40 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed

how to

1. Preheat oven to 175˚C. Grease a 20cm/8inch springform pan and dust the bottom and sides with pearl sugar.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together 300 g flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom. In another bowl, stir together sour cream and milk.

3. In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft. Add the sugar and continue to beat until pale and creamy. Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated.

4. Adjust the mixer speed to low and add about 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of the sour cream mixture. Continue to add flour and sour cream, alternating, until everything is incorporated. Use a spatula to fold in the pears, then pour batter into the prepared cake tin and even out the top.

5. To make the crumble, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and use your fingers to break up the butter, until sandy and crumbly. Sprinkle over the cake batter.

6. Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes, until the top looks golden and crunchy and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before unmolding.