Ginger Pear Almond Butter Cake

Here's a recipe for another almond cake. Will you believe me if I tell you this recipe is different than the three other almond cake recipes posted on Betsy Bakes?

Yes, this cake is almond-y.
Yes, this cake is dense but light at the same time.
Yes, this cake is easy to put together.
And, yes, this cake is easy to consume standing over the kitchen counter late at night when your husband is in the other room.

The real reason this cake is different (and arguably) better than the other recipes is this cake has BUTTER IN IT. And we all know butter makes everything better.

And let's not forget that it is also filled with a flavorful ginger pear curd.

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Ginger Pear Almond Butter Cake
adapted from New York Times

Almond Butter Cake
8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup almond flour
2 tbsp sliced almonds
extra sugar for garnish

to make gluten free:
replace all-purpose flour with gluten free flour (bob's red mill)
add 1/4 tsp xantham gum
increase eggs from 2 to 3
increase almond flour from 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup

Ginger Pear Butter
1 tbsp pear juice
8 oz pears (canned work great), cut into small pieces
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp fresh ginger
3 tbsp butter

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9" spring form pan. Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer until light and fluffy.

Sift all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into the butter/sugar mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until they start to foam. Add eggs and almond flour to batter and mix well.

Spread evenly in pan using a spatula. It will look like there is not enough batter...there is, I promise. Add 8 tbsp of curd (ginger pear butter, lemon curd, strawberry rhubarb jam, etc.) one at a time about 1" in from the perimeter of the pan. Add 3 tbsp of curd to the center. Finish with sliced almonds and 1-2 tbsp of sugar.

Bake for 40 minutes or until lightly brown on the top.

Make the pear butter: In a sauce pan over low/medium heat, cook the juice, pears, sugar, and ginger until it thickens considerably, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Let cool and refrigerate until needed.

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Cake Closeups

My daughter asked me today when it is going to be warm outside again. Please note that it is the first week of November in Minnesota so realistically the answer is NEVER.

But the closeups of these cakes make me feel warm inside. So does wine.

Top: Chocolate coffee cake with pistachios, crushed coffee beans, and cacoa nibs
Bottom: Strawberry cake filled with strawberry rhubarb butter

Welcome to Betsy Bakes

I'm about to do something that most Minnesotans wouldn't dare do.... tell you about the things I'm good at:

I'm good at baking cookies. I'm good at telling stories with no ending. I'm good at gloating about my daughter's brilliance after she questioned why Daft Punk's "One More Time" song never ends (right?). I'm good at eating cookie dough. I'm good at baking a braided challah.

You know what I'm not good at? Branding and design. So here is where LDH comes in. She's good at that. No, she's really good at that. She's national brands, international design good at that.

With her help, I've decided to transition Betsy the Baker into something brand new and delicious: Welcome to Betsy Bakes. I hope that you like it as much as I do and that you will continue to bake...or at least drool over the recipes.