Spiced Ginger and Pear Cake with Beurre Noisette
Dan's journey with ginger and spice wasn't always smooth—his ginger cake Signature in Season 6's Spice Week hit problems that left him determined to prove his skills. When he returned to the tent for Celebrity Bake Off, he chose redemption through pears, creating an elaborate showstopper of spiced pear sponge filled with spiced pear compote and beurre noisette. This simplified version captures that essence: tender, ginger-spiced sponge studded with fresh pears, layered with silky beurre noisette buttercream and jammy spiced pear compote. All the flavor, none of the four-tier anxiety.
- Time: 85 min
Source: Relaxed Recipes
Ingredients
- Make the Beurre Noisette
- Place butter in a light-colored saucepan so you can see the color change. Cook o
- Butter will melt, foam vigorously, then subside. Watch the milk solids at the bo
- When butter smells nutty and toasty and the solids are deep amber , immediately
- You need about 1¼ cups total: ¾ cup for the cake, ½ cup for the buttercream. Coo
- Make the Spiced Pear Compote
- Combine diced pears, brown sugar, lemon juice, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, clove
- Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pears soften and release the
- Remove from heat and stir in pear brandy or vanilla. Cool completely. Compote wi
- Make the Spiced Ginger-Pear Sponge
- Preheat oven to 350°F . Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, carda
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat room-temperature beurre noisette a
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla and fresh grated gi
- Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk , mixing on lo
- Fold in diced pears by hand, distributing evenly throughout the batter
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops
- Bake 30-35 minutes until golden, springy to touch, and a toothpick inserted in c
- Cool in pans 15 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely
- Make the Beurre Noisette Buttercream
- Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set over a pan
- Whisk constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture reaches 160°F —it should feel
- Transfer bowl to stand mixer with whisk attachment. Beat on high until stiff, gl
- Switch to paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low, add softened butter one t
- With mixer running, slowly drizzle in the cooled beurre noisette. The buttercrea
- Add vanilla and cinnamon. Beat until fully incorporated. If too soft, refrigerat
- Assemble the Cake
- Level cake layers if domed, using a serrated knife
- Place first layer on cake plate or board. Spread a generous layer of beurre nois
- Spoon half the pear compote over the buttercream, spreading gently. The buttercr
- Top with second cake layer, bottom-side up for a flat top. Press gently to adher
- Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream over the entire cake. Refrigerate 30 minu
- Apply remaining buttercream in a smooth, even layer, or create rustic swoops and
- Finish the Cake
- Toss thin pear slices with lemon juice to prevent browning
- Arrange pear slices in an overlapping fan or cascade on top of the cake
- Drizzle with honey
- Press crushed gingersnaps around the base of the cake
- Finish with flaky sea salt and edible gold dust if using