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poached pear cake with marzipan in a springform pan

Poached Pear Cake with Marzipan

This poached pear cake with marzipan is a traditional German cake recipe that is perfect for fall and the holiday season! A moist marzipan cake baked in a springform pan along with pears poached in vanilla and white wine! It’s quick and easy to make

Course Dessert
Cuisine germany
Keyword German marzipan cake, poached pear cake
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients

  • For the poached pears
  • about 5 small pears
  • 150 grams of sugar - 2/3 cups
  • 1 vanilla pod slit open
  • 6 cloves
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 lemon
  • 750 ml white wine - 3 cups
  • Pears poached in wine on a plate
  • For the cake batter:
  • 75 g butter - 5 1/2 tablespoons
  • 75 ml milk - 1/3 cup
  • 200 g marzipan - 1 cup
  • 4 tbsp amaretto liqueur
  • 175 g flour - 1 1/2 cups
  • 70 g ground almonds - 3/4 cups
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 80 g of sugar - 1/3 cup
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 tablespoon whole milk yogurt
  • 5 small poached pears see below

Instructions

  1. Peel the pears with a peeler. Halve the lemon and gather the juice in a pot. Add the sugar to the lemon juice and toss in the squeezed out lemon halves. Now place the peeled pears upright in the pot with the top facing up. Now fill the pot with white wine, add the whole spices and heat everything in the pot.

  2. The pears should be completely covered with liquid. If your pot is too big, you may have to add more wine or water. Bring the mixture almost to a boil, then turn the temperature down and let it simmer on low heat for about 40 minutes. It shouldn't boil anymore! Turn the fruit every now and then so that they cook evenly. Then let the pears cool completely in the syrup. Drain before using in the batter.

  3. Preheat the oven to 170 C - 340 F
  4. Drain the pears on paper towels and pat dry. Cut off the rounded bottom of the poached pears so that they can stand upright in the cake pan without falling over. Grease the mold well. Heat the butter with marzipan and milk in a saucepan and cook everthing. Stir constantly using a whisk. Stir in 3 tablespoons of amaretto and allow the mix to cool.

  5. Mix the flour, almonds, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl.
  6. Beat the sugar and eggs until frothy and then slowly stir in the cooled marzipan mixture. Sift the flour mixture over the batte and work it in carefully. Finally stir in the yoghurt and add another tbsp of Amaretto.

  7. Place pears in the springform pan.
  8. Pour the batter around the pears until only the slim neck of the pears peeks out.
  9. To bake:
  10. The cake has to bake for about 50 minutes -1 hour. Test for doneness after 50 minutes and cover the cake with aluminum foil after 30 minutes in the oven so that your pears don't get wrinkly!

  11. Drizzle the finished cake with a few tablespoons of soaking syrup.
  12. Serve still warm with a dusting of icing sugar!