“Now” is my favorite time of year. The landscape has gone brown, orange and gold, there is a nip in the air and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It’s the cool weather that inspires spicing things up indoors. Turning on the oven to bake something fragrant and fun for friends warms the house and the heart, filling the home with holiday charm.
I was inspired last week by the end of fall, the last of the leaves coming down off the trees in a rainstorm and the smells of burning logs on the hearth hanging in the air on my neighborhood street, to bake a Spiced Pear Cake. This cake is easy to make, as most bundt cakes are, only requiring making some caramel in which to saute the pears ahead of time. I threw in some cranberries for good measure, adding a tart moment to this otherwise spicy, sweet dessert.
The cake contains the usual autumnal favorites of nutmeg and ginger, but is also enhanced with cardamom and a healthy dose of black pepper. The lemon, cream cheese frosting doesn’t hurt either. Delicious!
Happy fall, happy baking and happy impending Thanksgiving!!
