Pear Almond Cake

Pear Almond Cake

Wow. This is a find. Imagine the aromas of pears, almond and vanilla floating through your house. Now imagine a moist, vanilla, melt in your mouth cake. Thats what you get with this Pear and Almond cake.

It has no flour in it at all. It also has no butter or milk so not only is it gluten free but its also dairy free! Which is something I have been trying to eat as dairy also slightly effects me.

Tuck in and enjoy,

Pear and Almond Cake

4 ripe but firm Pears – use divided

1¾ cups plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar – use divided

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

3¼ cups finely ground almonds

8 large eggs

1¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract – use divided

1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey

1 tablespoon grapeseed (or other neutral tasting) oil

½ cup sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.

Lightly spray a 9 or 10 inch springform pan with gluten-free non-stick cooking spray. Cut a circle of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan, place in the pan and spray it lightly with more cooking spray.

Peel and core the pears. Chop three of the pears roughly and slice the fourth into about ¼ inch slices. Take the chopped pears and put in a small, microwavable bowl with the lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Cover and microwave on high power for 4 minutes. Mash the pears into a coarse puree with a fork or wooden spoon. Let cool.

Put the almond meal and 1¾ cups of sugar in a food processor and give it 4 or 5 long pulses. Add the eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and the cooked pears and puree the mixture. Pour into the prepared pan.

In a small pan, heat the agave or honey with the oil, stirring to mix until the mixture starts to bubble. Take off the heat and stir in the remaining ¼ teaspoon of vanilla. Add the pear slices and toss gently to coat.Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top of the cake. Add the pear slices in a spoke configuration and spoon the agave or honey/oil mixture over the top of the cake.

Bake for 45 – 55 minutes or until the cake is nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check the cake after about 35 minutes, if it browning too much, place a piece of foil over the top.Let the cake cool in the pan for about 30 minutes then remove the sides of the pan and transfer to a serving platter. The cake is best served slightly warm.