I am delighted to be sharing this lovely recipe for Spiced Pear & Rye Cake with you: it’s wholesome, lightly spiced, soft and deliciously moist. It’s the perfect fika treat!
Baking has been my passion since childhood. I was very fortunate as a child to have an orchard to inspire my cooking – there was always something in late summer and autumn to pop into a cake batter or crumble. Apples were plentiful and I often made Swedish Apple Cake however we only had a couple of pear trees, so any fruit harvested from them was savoured.
When it comes to ginger cake, I see two distinct varieties: the dark, sticky kind with molasses undertones and the lighter, more sponge-like version that occasionally benefits from a dollop of cream. This recipe falls into the latter category, consisting predominantly rye flour and a touch of ground ginger.
Incorporating rye flour not only adds nutrition but also imparts a nutty twist. However, I always introduce a small percentage of white flour, usually spelt to lend a subtle lightness to my cakes.
Method:
Commence with caramelising the pears in butter, sugar and maple syrup with a teaspoon of ground ginger. This gives the cake depth and warmth. The cake batter is pretty straight forward: beat the butter with the light brown sugar until really light and fluffy and gradually add the egg. Following with the blended flours and Greek-style yogurt, always ending with folding in the flour.
In my opinion, this is a perfect winter bake—utterly delicious when served warm with a dollop of cream after a long, refreshing walk. I’m eager to hear what you think!
Spiced Pear & Rye Cake
Ingredients
- 2 medium pears I used conference, not too ripe.
- 25 g butter
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tbls caster sugar
- 1 tbls maple syrup
Cake
- 120 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 120 g light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 100 g light rye flour
- 30 g white spelt or plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp ground ginger
- 60 g Greek-style yoghurt
Instructions
- Start by greasing and lining the base of a 20cm cake tin with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C.
- Begin by caramelising the pears: peel, core and slice the pears into eighths. Then in a heavy based frying pan heat the butter with the sugar, maple syrup and ground ginger. as soon as the mixture melts and bubbles, carefully add the pears. Cook for 6-8 minutes on a medium heat, turning to colour on all sides. Remove from the heat while you prepare the cake batter.
- Sift the rye, spelt, baking powder and ginger into a bowl. Any bran left in the sieve should be added to the sifted flour. Set to one side.
- In a free standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar until really light and fluffy. Next gradually add the egg, beating between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Once all the egg has been added, fold in a third of the dry ingredients. Follow with half of the yogurt, then more flour, then yogurt, then finally the flour.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, then arrange the pear slices on the top, adding the caramelised sauce too.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 40-42 minutes or until a cocktail inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes and serve slightly warm with cream or yogurt. This cake keeps well for several days.
Tips:
- use wholegrain spelt as an alternative to rye
- add a teaspoonful of cinnamon to the cake batter for additional spicy flavour
- dairy butter and yogurt can easily be switch to plant based if you’re dairy-free
- if you find light rye flour difficult to find, you can buy it online from Shipton Mill
Swedish Fishballs – Fiskbullar
Thank you for sharing this nice recipe. Appreciate it!
I shared it with my colleagues and everyone loves it. It’s very moist and yummy! Will definitely make this again the next time.
Thank you so much Shelley, I’me delighted you like my recipe.
What a lovely, delicate flavor! This was a hit with the family. I whipped my own cream in food processor with powdered sugar and vanilla to accompany it. It is very moist and light. Would be perfect with coffee too. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow!
Hi Michelle, thanks for taking the time to comment, it’s a winner here too. I hope you’re enjoying a slice with your coffee right now.