Pear Cornmeal Cake w  Rosemary Syrup (repost)

by

Cornmeal & Pear CakeThis is a great recipe to fiddle with. Try adding more pears or other succulent fruits. The sweetness is adjustable some may find that an extra ¼ in the batter works well. A light difference in texture will result with the use of xl eggs in place of large egg but no taste difference. Note: If you do not have the Buttermilk on hand, use whole milk with a tablespoon of white vinegar. At the end of the this post is the link to the original as well.

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs, whisked ( I actually used 2 xl eggs and think I liked the texture better – but either seem to work)
  • 2 ripe pears, cut into 8 wedges each (I tend to use 3 pears, that I also lightly coat in a bit of gf cake flour first  before folding in)
  • 6 large sprigs rosemary
  • freshly whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.
  2. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 cup of the sugar in a large bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Fold in the pears.
  3. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes; transfer to a wire rack.
  4. Meanwhile, heat the rosemary, the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, and ¼ cup water in a small pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar is melted. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. Discard the rosemary sprigs.
  5. While the cake is still warm, brush the top and side with the rosemary syrup.
  6. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream, if desired.

By Charlyne Mattox , November, 2013 Courtesy of  Real Simple Magazine http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pear-cornmeal-cake-00100000110429/index.html