Leah Koenig’s Passover Pear Cake

One of the best Pesach cakes we’ve tasted. Ever. One of those ‘I can’t believe it’s a Pesach cake’ cakes. We’ve tried it with plums and almonds, and figs and hazelnuts and it is just so great! You can replace the matzo flour with plain (all purpose) flour for a cake any time of the year.

In Leah Koenig‘s wonderful book, ‘Modern Jewish Cooking’, Leah explains that she isn’t a fan of baking with matzo meal but in this cake, it’s very well hidden.

This recipe can also be found in our latest book, Now for Something Sweet

For all our best PFP recipes, check out this year’s Passover Roundup.

Leah Koenig's Passover Pear Cake

Course Sweet Things
Cuisine Jewish
Servings 10 serves

Ingredients
  

  • 60 g pecans chopped (½ cup)
  • 110 g brown sugar (½ cup, firmly packed)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 4 eggs
  • 230 g Caster (Superfine) Sugar (1 cup)
  • 125 ml oil (½ cup)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 140 g superfine matzo flour (cake meal) (1 cup)
  • 4 medium pears sliced (not peeled)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).
  • Line a 20 cm (8 inch) square baking tin.
  • Mix together the pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl.
  • Using an electric mixer, whisk the eggs until creamy and light. Add the sugar, 2 spoons at a time, whisking until the mixture is thick and billowy.
  • Add the oil in a steady stream, followed by the vanilla, and whisk until just combined.
  • Add the matzo flour and mix on low speed until just combined.
  • Pour half the batter into the prepared tin. Sprinkle with half the pecan mixture and arrange half the pears on top.
  • Add the remaining batter, smoothing the top with a spatula. Top with the remaining pears, followed by the remaining pecan mixture.
  • Bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  • Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before removing from the tin.

Adapted and printed with permission of the publisher, from Modern Jewish Cooking: Recipes and customs for today’s kitchen by Leah Koenig, published by Chronicle Books, 2015.

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