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Brown Butter Pear Crumble Cake

October 9, 2010 by joey 35 Comments

title
Oh boy, that’s a mouthful. I’ve mentioned before that I am not the best recipe namer on the block, and if you didn’t believe me then, I suppose you do now. Instead of cleverly coming up with that all-descriptive yet succinct title that will perfectly describe a certain dish, I more often than not let myself ramble on with a name that reads like a list of ingredients. I know, there goes my career in editing.

Thankfully, I don’t aspire to be an editor, and truth be told, don’t know if I even aspire to be a writer either. Or am I already a writer just because I, um, write? It seems to me that one needs to reach some sort of pinnacle of writer-hood, some summit of eloquence, to be called a WRITER. Right? right?
I may check in here every so often (not as often as I’d like though…sigh). I may even string a few words together over here. But in reality I am a pencil pushing, keyboard clicking, cog in the machine. Maybe, maybe, in some alternate universe all this, this blog, this writing, this obsession with all things gastronomic, is actually my life. In this universe though, it is just my hobby. A hobby I LOVE yes, but a hobby nonetheless. And perhaps because it is just a hobby, food and writing and I will forever be on honeymoon, never to fall into the grittiness of reality. Or perhaps our relationship, never having the chance to plunge in to that very grit of the everyday, will never have anything more deep than a surface sparkle.
Or maybe I’m just a girl who thinks too much.
Or maybe I’m just a girl who loves cake…even if I can’t quite get the knack of naming them ๐Ÿ™‚
title
Brown Butter Pear Crumble Cake
(cake adapted from here and the crumble from here)
For the cake:
  • 125 grams butter
  • 150 grams sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 70 grams flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 cups chopped pears
For the crumble:
  • 50 grams flour
  • 30 grams butter, chilled and cubed
  • 50 grams dark brown sugar
  • 60 grams walnuts, chopped
– Melt the butter in a skillet until browned (not burned!), with a warm nutty aroma. You can find a fantastic tutorial on browning butter over at Simply Recipes. Strain and set aside to cool.
– Make your crumble: Rub flour and butter together with your fingers, or with a pastry cutter, until it forms coarse crumbs. Mix in the sugar and nuts. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
– Butter a 8-inch cake pan and lay your pear cubes at the bottom of the pan.
– Mix the sugar with the egg. Whisk your flour and baking powder together, then add to the egg mixture. Add the (cooled) brown butter. Pour the batter over the pears.
– Get your crumble mixture and sprinkle over the top of the batter until fully covered. You may not use it all**.
– Bake in a 180C (350F) oven for 40-50 minutes or until a pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
– Let the cake rest in its pan for about 5-10 minutes. Turn out into a plate, and then turn over onto another plate so the pears are on the bottom and the crumble on top.
C‘s mom gifted us with a bunch of pears that sat prettily on our dining room table until I finally came around to using them. I was thinking more in the lines of pie until this recipe, and my desire to make something with brown butter, serendipitously collided. I’m so happy they did. This cake is all Clotilde promised it to be — golden, moist, light — and the additional step of browning the butter lends it a deep nuttiness that I think works marvelously with the pears’ sandy sweetness. The crisp crumble topping is the perfect contrast to the cake’s yielding softness. Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or straight out of the fridge for breakfast, this cake can do no wrong…and I hope I haven’t done it a sore disservice with the long-winded name.
Hobby or not, I love food — its making and its consumption. I love this blog. And I especially love all of you who have kept on reading through low times and high.
And to my fellow cogs (in a machine) out there — find a hobby you love! Until alternate universes become a reality, it will make all the difference ๐Ÿ™‚
**If you don’t use all your crumble mixture, keep it in the fridge. The next morning cube some fruit into a oven-safe dish, top with the crumble, and pop in the oven until the crumble is crisp and the fruit is soft and juices bubbling. Top with yogurt. Breakfast!

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Filed Under: fruit, sweets, Uncategorized

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Comments

  1. Paula says

    October 9, 2010 at 12:51 pm

    what a delicious cake!

    have a nice time!
    Paula

    Reply
  2. My Kitchen in the Rockies says

    October 9, 2010 at 2:53 pm

    That is a cake recipe for me. Love pears and the crumble. I will take the recipe to try. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  3. Ling says

    October 9, 2010 at 3:13 pm

    Yay! I have pears to use up!! ๐Ÿ˜€

    Reply
  4. Rosa's Yummy Yums says

    October 9, 2010 at 4:38 pm

    What a splendid cake!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  5. Lisa says

    October 9, 2010 at 7:47 pm

    What a gorgeous golden cake. I love that shot of the inside. It's enough to make anyone hungry.

    Reply
  6. joey says

    October 9, 2010 at 8:11 pm

    Thanks Paula…it was!

    Hi My Kitchen in the Rockies! Hope you enjoy the cake ๐Ÿ™‚

    Hi Ling! Glad to be of service!

    Hi Rosa! I am really in love with this cake from Clotilde, especially after browning the butter!

    Hi Lisa! And it's such a snap to make!

    Reply
  7. Junglefrog says

    October 9, 2010 at 10:10 pm

    Haha… I think the definition of a writer is… wel someone who writes. Or would it be the definition of someone who writes for a living? I am not sure really, but then I have heard that writing for a living is certainly not very profitable (unless your name is JK Rowling or such) so to me you are a writer! And that cake… now THAT is what I call delicious!

    Reply
  8. veron says

    October 10, 2010 at 12:24 am

    Just the mention of brown butter has me salivating. I love the chunks of pear in it too!

    Reply
  9. Stepford Mum says

    October 10, 2010 at 12:05 pm

    Yum! Did you use real pears (the kind not usually found in the Philippines) or the ones they sell in the supermarket, the yellowy ones?

    Reply
  10. Anne says

    October 10, 2010 at 12:16 pm

    Oh my! My decision to go on a diet just crumbled apart when I saw your post ๐Ÿ™‚ The cake looks so tempting!

    Reply
  11. Ash says

    October 10, 2010 at 2:12 pm

    holy yum!!

    Reply
  12. Ananda Rajashekar says

    October 10, 2010 at 3:44 pm

    What a lovely cake and gorgeous click, first time here ChichaJo loving it ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  13. mangocheeks says

    October 10, 2010 at 8:15 pm

    It is a very inviting cake.

    Reply
  14. Mom-Friday says

    October 11, 2010 at 12:20 am

    Love this! The name, the color, the crumble! :))) Would be great with apples too i suppose.

    I am leaving you with this:Versatile Blogger award
    Just sharing the blog love…hope you claim it ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  15. chef_d says

    October 11, 2010 at 5:19 am

    Yummy, brown butter smells so good! I bet this cake is heavenly!

    Reply
  16. Meaghan Frubalee says

    October 11, 2010 at 5:54 am

    i'm rather certain you are a perfectly awesome at naming blogs/recipes. the title of this blog tugged at my heart strings- going to have to make this SOON!

    thanks for posting! beautiful as always

    -m
    http://clutzycooking.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  17. Sherry says

    October 11, 2010 at 3:43 pm

    There's nothing wrong with being a 'a girl who loves cake…' The recipe looks amazing and I'm looking forward to trying it out. Thanks!

    Reply
  18. joey says

    October 11, 2010 at 4:38 pm

    Hi Junglefrog! I can definitely live with that definition ๐Ÿ˜‰ Thanks!

    Hi Veron! Me too! It was all I could do not to stick my face in the bowl for the smell!

    Hi Iyor! These pears were the green ones with the slim top and fat bottoms, either Anjou or Bartlett, not sure, not the round yellow Asian ones. Although I have seen these green ones in the supermarkets now so if you like them, try Rustans Fresh ๐Ÿ™‚

    Hi Anne! That decision keeps crumbling for me too! Heehee ๐Ÿ™‚

    Hi Ash! Haha!

    Hi Ananda! Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment ๐Ÿ™‚

    Thanks Mangocheeks ๐Ÿ™‚

    Hi Mom-Friday! Yes, you could indeed make it with apples โ€“ the original incarnation on Chocolate & Zucchini is with apples ๐Ÿ™‚ An award! Thank you!

    Hi Chef D! Oh boyโ€ฆyou said it! The smell is so enticing!

    Thank you Meaghan! Hope you like it!

    Heeheeโ€ฆthanks Sherry ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  19. Tv Food and Drink says

    October 11, 2010 at 7:40 pm

    You are a writer because you write. Getting to the keyboard or journal or parade of post-it notes and ordering thoughts is all you need to do to qualify! I love your blog and always look forward to new posts!

    Reply
  20. Lucy says

    October 11, 2010 at 7:56 pm

    This cake looks irresistible – the name alone just makes me hungry! Delicious ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  21. Midge says

    October 12, 2010 at 5:55 am

    I love how pears add a fudgy texture to cake, amping up the moistness and adding a little sugary oomph to the finished product. And brown butter? Nutty without the nuts!

    Reply
  22. Paz says

    October 14, 2010 at 1:41 am

    Your cake looks delish!

    Paz ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Reply
  23. stargazer says

    October 14, 2010 at 2:41 pm

    Hello Joey. I've been lurking since late 2007 and I finally can't stand it. I HAD to comment! I love your site and I have bookmarked tens of baking (and non-baking) posts from your site. I very recently got an oven (an electric one, though) and I am absolutely RARING to get baking.

    I have been cooking since I was seven but I have ZERO baking experience so this blog is very much a revelation (and an inspiration) for me. I might try the no-knead bread first. =)

    Would you or any of your readers be able to help me: can my little electric oven do the same things as the bigger, mre sophisticated gas ovens do? bake bread and cakes? Roast veggies? Make creme brulee?

    Thank you so much!

    Reply
  24. joey says

    October 16, 2010 at 12:26 am

    Hi Gary! Thank you so much for you kind words ๐Ÿ™‚

    Hi Lucy! Thanks!

    Hi Midge! The pears really do add such a lovely moistness to the cake — I love baking with fruit ๐Ÿ™‚

    Thanks Paz ๐Ÿ™‚

    Hi Stargazer! Iโ€™m so glad you have been enjoying my siteโ€ฆand thank you for finally commenting! ๐Ÿ™‚ I am not an experienced baker myself so all I can say is Go Go Go! You will have lots of fun and sweet stuff to eat afterwards ๐Ÿ™‚ With regards to the oven, you should be able to bake in your electric but what you bake (or cook) in it will depend on what temperatures it can reach. My advice is to get an oven thermometer so you make sure that you are at the temperature the recipe calls for (very important in baking). Hope this helps!

    Reply
  25. Maria @ Scandi Foodie says

    October 17, 2010 at 6:47 am

    I love cakes with delicious crumbles, this sounds fantastic!

    Reply
  26. Carlos says

    October 18, 2010 at 1:03 am

    Oh lord! that cake and a cup of coffee and I will be in pig's heaven.

    Reply
  27. joey says

    October 18, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    Hi Maria! I love cakes with crumble tooโ€ฆmakes it so much better ๐Ÿ™‚

    Hi Carlos! With some coffee definitely!

    Reply
  28. Chris says

    October 20, 2010 at 12:45 am

    You had me at brown butter…or was it pear…or maybe the crumble…

    Reply
  29. Patricia Scarpin says

    October 20, 2010 at 12:05 pm

    I love crumble cakes, Joey! And pears do not get all the attention they deserve in baking. Delicious!

    Reply
  30. Stephen says

    October 23, 2010 at 8:21 am

    two thumbs up girl! A mouth watering cake.. You have a lot of surprises in your blog.. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  31. joey says

    October 24, 2010 at 5:30 am

    Hi Chris! Heheheโ€ฆthatโ€™s why I love it too ๐Ÿ™‚

    Hi Patricia! I agree with you about the pearsโ€ฆthey turned out so lovely in this cake! I am definitely going to look for more ways to bake with them ๐Ÿ™‚

    Thanks Stephen!

    Reply
  32. Anonymous says

    November 21, 2010 at 2:24 pm

    My 11 year old was looking for somoething tasty to cook today (Sunday). It's our day to play in the kitchen. He found this and we are drooling over the keyboard.
    It's to be tested here very soon. Thanks for sharing. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  33. Stu says

    May 9, 2011 at 12:37 am

    Thanks – this is so simple and the kids loved it. I love it when people can easily take otherwsie bland food and make it something to remember…

    Reply
  34. Anonymous says

    September 21, 2011 at 3:20 am

    One of my favorites! Works well also with fresh apples or even canned pears.

    Ma Barker

    Reply
  35. Lucy Cleary says

    January 17, 2013 at 2:29 am

    I must make this pineapple upside down cake.It looks delicious

    Reply

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