Gluten Free PEAR GINGERBREAD for the HOLIDAYS !

Gluten Free PEAR GINGERBREAD for the HOLIDAYS !

My friends gave me a lovely box of huge perfect pears for the holidays and while eating one sliced up with brie cheese on crackers I decided on what to do with the rest!  As I love to have the oven on warming the house for these cool rainy days of our California winter, a baked dessert was the plan.   The perfect pairing of ripe juicy fruit and spicy dark gingerbread makes a great homey dessert or snack cake for afternoon coffee and tea time.  This recipe has the added flavor surprise of three types of ginger – ground powder, fresh minced and chopped candied.

This recipe can also be made with regular flour ( with gluten) see notes below.  This style of cake is where you layer the fruit and toppings on the bottom of your cake pan ( use a loaf pan or an 8 x8″ pan ) and pour the batter over the top and bake.  After it finishes baking,  let it cool for a couple of minutes  in the pan and then  invert it onto a cooking rack.

RECIPE

Bottom Layer:

2 Tablespoons melted unsalted Butter

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 large Pear, cored and sliced thinly

1 Tablespoon finely chopped candied baby Ginger

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pour melted butter into loaf or cake pan ( depends on how tall you want the finished gingergread to be, see images below) and make sure the sides and bottom are well buttered. The extra butter will pool on the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the bottom and top with overlapping pear slices to cover the bottom completely and up some of the sides if you like.  Spread the 1 T candied ginger evenly over pear slices and set aside.

Cake Batter Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Authentic Foods Gluten Free CLASSIC flour blend or 1 3/4 cups regular wheat flour

1 Tablespoon finely chopped candied Ginger

1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh Ginger

1 Teaspoon ground Ginger

1 Teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon ground Cloves

1/8 Teaspoon ground Nutmeg

1 Teaspoon baking soda

In large bowl, mix together dry ingredients above.

Cake Batter liquid ingredients:

1/4 Cup Canola Oil

2 Tablespoons melted unsalted Butter

2 eggs

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup Molasses

1/2 Cup plain lowfat Yogurt or Buttermilk

In medium bowl mix together liquid ingredients well.   Stir liquid ingredients into flour mixture just until combined and pour over pears in baking pan.   Put in oven and bake just until top springs back in the center when lightly touched.   In my long loaf pan that took 35 minutes.  In the rectangular pan it was 30 minutes. Baking time will vary a few minutes either way depending on your pan and your oven.

Let cool in pan on cooling rack for 2 minutes.

Then invert onto cooling rack and unmold.  Cake should slide out easily.  Let cool and serve as is or dust with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

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Tags: cake, dessert, gingerbread, pears, spicy

• December 16, 2012
• Gluten-Free baking, Healthy Eating
• 2 Comments