Right-Side-Up Cake!

Ingredient update below

This Sunday, we’ve got two celebrations: 1) Nat’s birthday, and 2) The Gantzery turns 6 months old!

Sharing a post every week since May 22nd has been rewarding and challenging. Of course, we cooked a bunch, (and ate a bunch... that part wasn't too hard). But, we also had to commit time for testing, cooking, writing, and photographing. For us, two people who don't love being in the spotlight, it's given us a space to open up and share what we care about.

But now that we’ve got our own rhythm going, we’d love to hear from you. We could go on and on about most food topics, but want to know what’s valuable from your end. Here's a 5-question survey to hear about what matters to you.

Because of all the hoopla, we decided to share a cake recipe this week. I’m calling it “right-side-up” because we first started testing with pears layered on the bottom, then flipping the cake after baking. Recently, though, we tried the sliced pairs on top, and it came out just as good, without the breath-holding moment of flipping the dessert upside down.

The almond flour base gives a nutty flavor and cuts the overall carb load, making each slice a bit more filling than typical cake. The vanilla and pears make for a comforting combo. Feel free to try a little cardamom or nutmeg for a little extra spice. We’re planning to make this on Thanksgiving as a dairy-free, gluten-free pie alternative.

Pear Almond Cake

Ingredients

• 4 pears, cored. 1 chunked, 2 cubed, and 1 thinly sliced (We used Anjou and Bosc. Peeled vs. unpeeled didn't seem to matter, so we left the skins on)
• 250 grams almond meal (about 2 cups)
• 15 grams psyllium husk (about 1/4 cup)*
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup (We forgot to include this originally. It's not necessary, but it takes the recipe from tasting a little "healthy," to something more scrumptious by bringing out the sweetness in the pears.)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla paste
• Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 eggs

*This was a new ingredient for us, too. But, I think it really helps give the cake some structure. Without it, we run the risk of having a big depression in the center of the cake after it cools off from baking. We haven't tried it yet, but I think ground flax seeds, or chia seeds, would also provide enough form to keep the cake in shape.

Equipment

Oven, blender, spring-form cake pan*, whisk, pot.

*We used a spring-form pan, but I bet a regular pie dish would work as well.

Process

• Preheat oven to 350º F. Place a rack on a lower shelf.
• Take a little of the coconut oil and rub it on a spring-form pan. Get the bottom and the sides.
• In a large bowl, combine almond meal, psyllium husk, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
• Prep the pears - 1 chunked, 2 cubed, 1 thinly sliced for the topping.
• In a blender, add the eggs and chunks from one pear. Blend until pears are completely dissolved.
• In a small pot, add coconut oil, cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon juice and zest. Melt over low heat until coconut oil is liquid.
• Remove coconut oil mixture from heat. (Make sure the oil is cool enough to touch. We're going to add it to the eggs, and don't want to cook them with hot oil.)
• Start the blender again, and slowly pour in the oil mixture. Blend everything a bit more to make sure it's fully incorporated. 
• Add the cubed pears to the almond meal mixture. Add the liquid from the blender to the bowl as well. Stir until well combined.
• Pour the batter into the spring-form, and make into an even layer.
• Take the pear slices, and top the batter. We usually make a ring, but I'm sure there are other designs that look great.
• Put on the lower rack in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes. We like to go on the longer side to get the edges a little crunchy and remove the moisture.
• Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Remove the spring-form, and serve warm.
• Leftover cake lasts 3 days out on the counter... we've never had leftovers longer than that!