Pear & Pinenut Cake

Pine nuts are awesome. Why? Because I'm not allergic to them! They're not really nuts, they're seeds and it was a happy happy day many years ago when I realised I could eat them. They are fantastic and the closest thing to actual nuts that I can get.

I've had pears on the brain recently and was thinking of trying a pear crumble cake, similar to the apple crumble cake that my Mum always makes. Then I came across this recipe for a pear and pine nut cake which was very interested in since I haven't tried using pine nuts in a dessert before. It's also quite light and not too fatty which is always a bonus.

Pear & Pine Nut Cake
(from Cooking Light)

1 1/4 cups plain flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup low-fat milk (I used Smart Milk)
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarb soda
1 large egg
2 cups thinly sliced peeled pears

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and line the bottom of a 9 inch round cake tin. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. (I just rubbed it in using the tips of my fingers, being careful not to warm/melt the butter with my hands) Remove 1/3 cup flour mixture, place in a small bowl and stir in pine nuts and cinnamon into this; set aside.

Combine the remaining flour mixture, sour cream, milk, lemon rind, bicarb soda, baking soda and egg in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Arrange the pear slices evenly over the batter. Sprinkle with pine nut mixture. Bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean; cool completely on a wire rack.

I was pleasantly surprised by how wonderful this cake was. The topping worried me as it was baking be cause it looked so powdery and dry, but once it browns up in the oven it is wonderfully crunchy, nutty and sweet.

The cake itself is very light and moist, and the pears are just lovely when paired with the pine nuts. A & I ate this all by ourselves over a couple of days, the cake tasted best when it was warm. I even tried drizzling some cream on it which was naughty but yum. It doesn't need it though, it's great on its own!