Brown butter vanilla pear cake

There are desserts you make because you need dessert, and then there are desserts you make because you bought a few beautiful pears and suddenly decided your kitchen needed to smell like browned butter and vanilla. This is the second kind. Brown butter vanilla pear cake sounds considerably fancier than the amount of effort it actually requires. The cake is soft and buttery with just enough vanilla and cinnamon, while thin slices of pear bake right into the top. Browning the butter gives everything that warm, slightly nutty flavor that makes a simple cake taste like you did something impressive. You didn’t. But nobody needs to know that. A Simple Dessert That Looks Beautiful I’m a firm believer that not every dessert needs three layers, twelve decorating tips and an afternoon blocked off on the calendar. Sometimes I want something I can make in one cake pan, put on a pretty plate and leave alone. That’s this cake. The pears do most of the decorating for you. Slice them thinly, fan them across the batter and sprinkle a little coarse sugar over the top before baking. They soften in the oven while the edges caramelize slightly, and the finished cake looks beautiful without frosting or decorating. A little powdered sugar at the end is plenty. Let’s Talk About Brown Butter If you’ve never browned butter before, don’t let the name make it sound complicated. You’re simply cooking butter for a few extra minutes. As the butter melts, it will foam and eventually you’ll see little golden-brown bits forming at the bottom of the pan. That’s where the flavor is. Once it smells warm and nutty and those bits are deep golden brown, pull it from the heat. Butter can go from beautifully browned to burned surprisingly quickly, so don’t wander off to reorganize a cabinet halfway through. What Kind of Pears Should I Use? You want pears that are ripe but still firm enough to slice. Bosc pears are especially good for baking because they hold their shape well. Anjou pears work beautifully too. Very soft, overripe pears are better saved for something else. They’ll release more moisture and won’t give you those pretty defined slices across the top. Brown Butter Vanilla Pear Cake Prep Time: 20 minutes Bake Time: 35–45 minutes Servings: 8 Ingredients ½ cup unsalted butter ¾ cup packed brown sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ cup sour cream 1½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 2 ripe but firm pears 2 tablespoons coarse sugar Powdered sugar, for finishing Instructions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Add the butter to a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Allow it to melt and continue cooking, stirring or swirling occasionally. The butter will begin to foam. Keep watching until the milk solids at the bottom turn golden brown and the butter smells toasted and nutty. Immediately remove it from the heat and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the browned butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and sour cream until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently fold everything together just until combined. Don’t overmix. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan. Core the pears and cut them into thin slices. Arrange the slices across the top of the cake in overlapping fans. Sprinkle the coarse sugar over the pears. Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring it to a serving plate. Once slightly cooled, finish with a light dusting of powdered sugar. Serve It Warm This cake doesn’t need much. Serve it slightly warm with coffee in the morning, make it an afternoon dessert with tea, or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you’re serving it after dinner. And if there’s a leftover slice sitting on the counter the following morning? Cake has pears in it. That’s practically breakfast.