Nut. White. Fruit. Chocolate. Vegan. Gluten-Free. Honey Cake with Caramelized Pears. Cheesecake. Raspberry-Swirl Cheesecake. One Minute Chocolate Cake in a Mug. John's Three-Layer Apple Cake. Lemon-Ginger Bundt Cake. Pear Honey and Walnut Upside-Down Cake. This perfect autumn cake is a result of my makeover of an old family recipe, the one from a huge collection of Russian recipes I’m planning to publish someday one way or another. Feather-soft cardamom-spiced honey cake, sweet caramelized succulent pears, and crunchy walnuts sure make a memorable treat.
The cake becomes out-of-this-world fantastic when served slightly warm with vanilla bean and honey ice cream. Makes one 10-inch round cake, about 12 servings For the topping: 4 tbsp (½ stick; 2 oz) unsalted butter½ cup packed light brown sugar¼ cup honey2 to 3 large ripe but firm Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and sliced vertically into 1/2-inch thick slices1 cup walnut halves and pieces, lightly toasted For the cake: 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour1 ½ tsp ground cardamom1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt½ cup sour cream, at room temperature1 tsp pure vanilla extract8 tbsp (1 stick; 4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature½ cup granulated sugar1/3 cup honey2 large eggs, at room temperature Make the topping: