Pear-Walnut Cake with Honey-Orange Syrup

This is similar to pan d'Espanya (Spanish bread), which is what Sephardic Jews call sponge cake. Brushing the honey-orange syrup over the warm cake infuses it with moisture and delicate aromas. For a second-day treat, try toasting a leftover slice. Garnish with orange rind curls and star anise.

Yield: 18 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

• Cake:
• Cooking spray
• 2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4  cups  sugar
• 4  large eggs
• 3  cups  all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)
• 1  tablespoon  baking powder
• 1  teaspoon  aniseed, crushed
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon  finely grated orange rind
• 1/2  cup  fresh orange juice
• 1/2  cup  canola oil
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 2  cups  chopped peeled pear (about 3)
• 1/4  cup  chopped walnuts, toasted
• 
  Syrup:
• 1/3  cup  honey
• 2  tablespoons  fresh orange juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare cake, coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray; dust with 2 tablespoons flour. Set aside.

Place sugar and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until thick and pale (about 3 minutes).

Lightly spoon 3 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, aniseed, salt, and cinnamon, stirring well with a whisk.

Combine rind, 1/2 cup juice, oil, and vanilla. Add flour mixture to egg mixture alternately with juice mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; blend after each addition just until combined. Stir in pear and walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 375° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula or knife. Place a plate upside down on top of cake pan; carefully invert cake onto plate.

To prepare syrup, combine honey and 2 tablespoons juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Brush warm syrup over top and sides of cake. Cool completely.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

271 (30% from fat)

Fat:

8.9g (sat 0.9g,mono 4.3g,poly 2.9g)

Protein:

4.1g

Carbohydrate:

45.4g

Fiber:

1.4g

Cholesterol:

47mg

Iron:

1.4mg

Sodium:

176mg

Calcium:

15mg