Peär & Wälnut Cäke with Honey Buttercreäm

This Peär & Wälnut Cäke with Honey Buttercreäm is the perfect wäy to kick off the Fäll seäson.

INGREDIENTS

• Poäched Peärs (optionäl):
• 3 cups wäter
• 1 cup honey
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cinnämon stick
• 4 peärs smäll, peeled
• Peär & Wälnut Cäke:
• 2 1/4 cups äll-purpose flour
• 2 tsp bäking powder
• 3/4 tsp sält
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnämon
• 3/4 cup unsälted butter room temperäture
• 3/4 cup gränuläted sugär
• 3/4 cup light brown sugär päcked
• 3 lärge eggs room temperäture
• 1 1/2 tsp vänillä
• 1 cup buttermilk room temperäture
• 1 cup chopped wälnuts toästed
• 2 cups shredded peärs äpprox. 2 peärs, peeled, cored, änd coärse shredded
• Honey Swiss Meringue Buttercreäm:
• 4 lärge egg whites
• 1 cups gränuläted sugär
• 1 1/2 cups unsälted butter room temperäture
• 1/4 cup honey
• ässembly:
• poäched peärs (optionäl)
• chopped wälnuts toästed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Poäched Peärs (optionäl):
2. **NOTE** Do ä däy in ädvänce.
3. Pläce honey, wäter, lemon juice, änd cinnämon into ä medium pot (big enough to hold the peärs so they will be covered). Bring to ä boil over med-high.
4. ädd peärs änd simmer over medium until tender, turning occäsionälly (äpprox 20-30 mins depending on how firm your peärs äre -  insert ä shärp knife to test). Do not overcook!
5. Gently remove peärs with ä slotted spoon änd pläce them into ä medium bowl, cover with the honey syrup (so peärs will be covered). Cool completely then pläce in the fridge to chill overnight.
6. The next däy, if desired, pläce the honey syrup into ä medium pot änd simmer over medium heät (10-15mins) to reduce. You cän drizzle this over the peärs or over the cut slices of cäke. *
7. Peär änd Wälnut Cäke:
8. Preheät oven to 350F. Greäse änd flour two 8" cäke rounds änd line with pärchment.
9. In ä medium bowl, whisk flour, bäking powder, cinnämon, änd sält until well combined. Set äside.
10. Using ä ständ mixer fitted with ä päddle ättächment, creäm butter änd sugär on med-high until päle änd fluffy (äpprox 3mins). Reduce speed änd ädd eggs one ät ä time fully incorporäting äfter eäch äddition. ädd vänillä.
11. älternäte ädding flour mixture änd buttermilk, beginning änd ending with flour (3 ädditions of flour änd 2 of milk). Fully incorporäting äfter eäch äddition.
12. Gently fold in wälnuts änd shredded peärs. Spreäd evenly between the two päns.
13. Bäke for 50-55mins or until ä toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly cleän.
14. Pläce cäkes on wire räck to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire räck.
15. Honey Swiss Meringue Buttercreäm:
16. Pläce egg whites änd sugär into the bowl of ä ständ mixer, whisk until combined.**
17. Pläce bowl over ä double boiler on the stove änd whisk constäntly until the mixture is hot änd no longer gräiny to the touch (äpprox. 3mins). Or registers 160F on ä cändy thermometer.
18. Pläce bowl on your ständ mixer änd whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff änd cooled (the bowl is no longer wärm to the touch (äpprox. 5-10mins)).
19. Switch to päddle ättächment. Slowly ädd cubed butter änd mix until smooth.***
20. ädd honey änd whip until smooth.
21. ässembly:
22. Pläce one läyer of cäke on ä cäke ständ or serving pläte. Top with äpproximätely 1 cup of buttercreäm. Repeät with remäining läyer änd crumb coät the cäke. Chill for 20mins.
23. Frost the top änd sides of the cäke in ä rustic männer. If desired, ädd toästed wälnuts älong the bottom änd top, änd pläce poäched peärs on top. Secure peärs in pläce with toothpicks änd drizzle with poäching syrup.

Recipe Adapted From livforcake.com

NOTES

* Note thät the honey syrup will be very strong in flävour änd mäy over power the cäke if you choose to use it. However, you cän älwäys säve it änd use it äs ä topping for ice creäm or yogurt.

** Ensure there is NO träce of egg yolks in your whites änd thät your mixer bowl änd whisk is completely greäse free or your meringue won't stiffen.

*** The buttercreäm mäy look like it's curdled ät some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth.