I’m thrilled to share a bake with you today that I think might just encapsulate the essence of comfort and happiness – for me at least – THE Pear and Clotted Cream Crumble Cake. Bursting with the sweetness of ripe pears, the luxurious creaminess of clotted cream, and the texture of the crumble on top, this cake is a true celebration of life’s simple pleasures. I created the recipe for my Kitchen Garden Cook column in Country Life magazine but it’s a recipe that has been on repeat ever since.
I believe in embracing the seasons and the beauty of them! Ripe pears are one of those autumn jewels with their juicy, fragrant sweetness that adds to every dish so I always look forward to ‘pear week’ in the magazine.
Why the clotted cream? Well, indulgence is an art form, and that’s precisely why I chose clotted cream for the recipe! Its velvety texture and rich yet subtle taste elevates the flavour and pairs – excuse the pun – so deliciously with pears. Essentially it’s just acting as the ‘fat’ in the recipe so the overall balance is still there as there wood be for any cake batter except this takes it up a notch!
The crumble top is, well let’s face it, crumble will always be the epitome of cosy comfort. It’s a delightfully simple yet perfect crumble topping to crown our cake, generously sprinkled, . It’s golden and crunchy and perfect for the flavours and textures beneath it.
With love and clotted cream,
Mel
Preheat your oven to 170C/350F/Gas 4 and line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking parchment. Use your finger tips to rub everything together. The difference between streusel and crumble is that if you continue rubbing beyond the crumble stage it will form small clumps that hold their shape whilst cooking. Once you’ve reached the streusel stage place the bowl in the refrigerator while you prepare the pears and make the cake batter. Peel and core the pears and then toss in lemon juice so they don’t brown and set aside. Put the butter, clotted cream and caster sugar into a bowl. Use electric beaters to mix until fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla and salt and mix again, followed by the flour. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin, arrange the slices of pear in neat rows over the top and then sprinkle the chilled streusel to cover the pears. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes when it should be golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven, cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then move to a wire rack. Serve warm with cinnamon ice cream. It also tastes delicious the next day remaining perfectly moist.
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