Cinnamon Pear Streusel Cake

Cinnamon PearStreusel Cake

Makes 2 8-inch cakes

by Lori Fredrich of Burp!

Ingredients:

Streusel:

¾ cup flour

½ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup cold butter, diced

½ cup sliced almonds

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon almond extract

3 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 ripe pears, cored and diced

Butter, for preparing your pans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter two 8” round baking pans and set aside.

First, make the streusel. Mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter or rub in with your fingers until small to medium clumps form. Mix in sliced almonds. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the cake batter, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk, extract, and egg, stirring until just combined. Do not over mix.

Pour batter into prepared baking pans. Sprinkle half of the pears over the top of each cake, pressing them into the cake slightly. Top each cake with half of the streusel mixture.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the centers of the cakes comes out clean.