Brandied Pears Coffee Cake with Optional Streusal Topping

Pears have a wonderful delicate taste, but add them to baked goods and the taste almost disappears. However, brandied pears retain that wonderful pear flavor, with an added kick. Whether served as a coffee cake, a loaf cake or as muffins, this is a light, delicate bake with the wonderful taste of brandied pears.

The Inside Scoop

This is a fairly straightforward recipe. I just have a few inside comments:

When both volumetric and weight measures are provided, the volumetric measures should be considered approximations. The standard measure for a cup of sugar is 192 grams. By volume, this measure will be less than 1 cup.

For help with poaching pears in brandy syrup, please see How To Make Brandied Pears.

This recipe works equally well with brandied peaches.

Do not add the streusel topping if you will be freezing this coffeecake. When thawed, previously frozen streusel topping has a decidedly unpleasant appearance.

If using streusel topping, sprinkle lightly over the top of the muffin or coffeecake; distribute evenly over the surface. Clumps of streusel will sink into the muffin/coffeecake.

Streusal topping evenly distributed on top of muffin.

This recipe can be made as 6 5-ounce jumbo muffins or as an 8″ x 8″ coffeecake. Line jumbo muffin tin with cupcake liners and spray liners with a non-stick cooking spray. If a pan coffeecake is preferred, spray pan with a non-stick cooking spray and line bottom and 2 opposite sides with parchment paper. Allow enough of the parchment paper to stick above the pan to make “handles.”

If you are trying to cut down on sugar, you can reduce the amount of granulated sugar to 96 g./ 1/2 c. without a loss of flavor; do not apply the streusel topping.

Print Recipe

Brandied Pears Coffee Cake with Optional Streusel Topping

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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By Connie Teunis – Serves: 12

Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

An exceptionally light coffeecake with the wonderful taste of brandied pears and a cinnamon and cardamom streusel topping.

Ingredients

400 g./ 3 ¼ c. + 1 T. All-purpose Flour

150 g./ 1 ¼ c. Whole-wheat Graham Flour

1 T. Baking Powder

1 t. Baking Soda

1 t. Salt

2 t. Pumpkin Pie Spices

96 g./ ½ c. Brown Sugar

127 g./ 2/3 c. Granulated Sugar*

½ c. Canola Oil or other unflavored oil

2 Eggs, slightly beaten

215 g./ 1 c. Brandied Pear Syrup

625 g./ 2 ½ c. Coarsely Chopped Brandied Pears**

Streusel topping (opt.)***

28 g./ 2 T. Butter, chilled

96 g./ ½ c. Granulated Sugar

2 t. Cinnamon

2 t. Cardamom

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2

Make the optional streusel topping:

3

Combine the butter, sugar, cinnamon and cardamom in the bowl of a small food processor and pulse until combined but still loose and grainy; do not allow the streusel ingredients to clump together. Or allow the butter to soften slightly and place the streusel ingredients on a plate; mash with a fork until well combined but still loose and grainy. Set aside.

4

Line the bottom and 2 opposite sides of an 8” x 8” cake pan with parchment paper, leaving parchment paper handles extending beyond the edge of the pan. Or line 6 jumbo muffin cups with cupcake liners; spray with non-stick cooking spray.

5

In a medium bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spices; mix thoroughly and set aside.

6

Place pears on a rimmed plate. With a fork, mash the pears slightly so that small chunks of pear are still visible.

7

In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine both sugars, canola oil, eggs and brandied pear syrup. Beat on medium low speed until well combined. (Wear your apron because this may splatter!) Stir in pears.

8

Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and gently fold in until just combined.

9

Pour into prepared pan. If making jumbo cupcakes, measure 142 g./ 5 oz. of batter into each cup.

10

Distribute the streusel topping evenly onto the top of the coffeecake. If making jumbo muffins, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of streusel topping onto each muffin. Do not allow streusel topping to clump.

11

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 min for jumbo muffins or coffeecake. Test for doneness with a metal cake tester; metal cake tester should come out clean when inserted into the middle of the coffeecake or muffin.

12

Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let cool for 10-15 min., then remove the coffeecake from the pan by loosening the edges with a knife and using the parchment paper handles to lift the loaf out of the pan.

13

Let cool to room temperature (or as long as you can stand to wait) and enjoy!

14

Notes:

15

This can be stored in a tightly closed container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in a refrigerator.

16

Do not apply the streusel topping if you wish to freeze the muffins/coffeecake for later use. The streusel topping will have an unpleasant appearance when thawed.