PEAR GINGER UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

 

i hope you all had an amazing long weekend!!! & by amazing i mean i hope you all ate your weight in turkey + pie. i will be eating left over turkey for the next week or so but it's okay, i am one of those people who loves to get creative with left overs. thanksgiving has made me a little bit behind on my blog, so i hope this pear ginger upside down cake will make up for the minor delay! now.. can we all take a minute to promise each other to bake with pears more often. pears are so damn delicious & i so often forget about them (apples are on the brain too much once fall hits). browsing the internet/pinterest i found very few interesting desserts made with pears that i knew i wanted to feature another pear recipe on the blog (don't forget about this spiced pear pie). i hope this cake is what you are looking for next time you are graced with a basket of freshly picked pears! it would be the perfect ending to a sophisticated dinner party. the pears featured in this post come from my family's pear tree so it makes the cake extra delicious.

ingredients

for the sauce

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 pears, thinly sliced

for the cake

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup whole milk

directions

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • sauce: in a sauce pan over medium heat add butter, sugar, salt, ginger and vanilla. bring to a boil constantly stiring and remove from heat. pour caramel sauce in an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan & arrange the pear slices in a circle.
  • cake: in a mixing bowl sift flour, baking powder and salt. in the bowl of a stand mixer using the beater attachment cream butter and brown sugar. add eggs one at a time until light and fluffy. mix in vanilla, ginger and milk until combined. slowly add your flour mixture and beat until the batter is smooth. carefully pour batter over the pears, ensuring you do not alter the design of the fruit.
  • bake for 20-25 minutes, until cake is cooked throughout.
  • let cool completely before flipping & serving.

like what you see? get it here. cake plate | cake server | linen | mini cocottes | side plate

HONEY PUMPKIN PIE

 

MORE PIE!!!! pumpkin pie to be exact. this one is a classic with a little vermont farmed honey twist. i recently received the most gorgeous pottery from farmhouse pottery, which included honey & the cutest of all honey pots. i knew with canadian thanksgiving approaching us this weekend the first pie i wanted to make in my new dish is a pumpkin pie! especially after spending this past weekend at the pumpkin patch. i used fresh steamed pumpkin pure that my aunt cooked up & it makes a huge difference (p.s. thank you aunt mira for doing the messy work for me)! fresh pumpkin offers a much more vibrant orange colour & has a natural texture to it compared to the mushy canned version. aside from honey, the pie is sweetened with raw sugar (this pie is sounding pretty healthy eh?!) & then finished off with heavy cream (ok.. maybe not). i kept the decorating simple & finished it off with the most festive braided crust suited to grace any holiday table! i promise braiding pastry dough is easier then it looks! don't be intimidated, it's just like braiding hair so give it a try! happy thanksgiving weekend my fellow canadians! hope it's filled with family, friends, turkey & all the pie in the world xo.

ingredients

for the dough

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold & cubed
  • 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, cold
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup ice water
  • 1 egg, for egg wash (optional)

for the filling

  • 2 cups pumpkin pure (fresh or canned)
  • 1/2 cup raw sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 1/4 cup heavy cream, cold
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

directions

  • for the dough: using a food processor pulse the flour, salt and sugar. add the cubed butter, shortening and vanilla. pulse until a crumb like mixture forms. add the cold water one tablespoon at a time until the crumbs begin to come together. turn out onto a pastry board and shape dough into a disk. if dough seems wet, add a bit more flour. if the dough seems dry, add a bit more water. wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for minimum 2 hours.

  • for the filling: in a large mixing bowl whisk pumpkin, sugar, honey and eggs until smooth. add your cream, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. continue to stir until a silky batter is formed.

  • for assembly: preheat oven to 375 degrees. roll out the pie dough between 3/4 cm and 1 cm thick. line pie dish, crimp or braid edges & poke air holes. using pie beads (or foil wrapped dried beans/rice) pre bake the crust for 15-20 minutes. remove from oven, add the filling and bake for an additional 45-60 minutes. if the top or edges begin to brown too fast, cover the pie with foil. remove from oven and let set for 4-6 hours before serving. serve with fresh whipped cream.. bonus points for honey sweetened whipped cream!

PUMPKIN PATCH

 

i went to the pumpkin patch!!!! i seriously have not been to one in over a decade & it was so much fun. we climbed hay, went through a corn maze (well, more of a corn path then a maze.. maybe it would have been a bit more challenging if i was the appropriate age), went through the pumpkin fields, drank apple cider, jumped on a blow up trampoline & picked the perfect pumpkin to carve for halloween. all this well wearing my favourite new fall cardigan by gentle fawn. it was the best gloomy fall day! i also took home five pie pumpkins as well, including my favourite whimsicle looking white pumpkins! these are probably meant to bake with or something, but i'm going to keep them as festive decor & fill every single corner of my apartment with cute pumpkins. what's your favourite fall activity?!

want the look? get it here. sweater | scarf | jeans | boots