Fall has been here for quite a while and harvest season in the Midwest has been uneventful for most unless you happen to be a meteorologist or a rain gauge. There have been more soggy days than dry days since August it seems, which have left me more time to organize my kid's schedules, coach softball and give pitching lessons.
Once we are able to cut any soybeans or pick any corn, I'm pretty sure nobody will be sleeping and the extras of life like pre-season basketball, flag football and more will be less attended by family because we will be holed up in a field somewhere nearby. I look forward to hopping back into my seasonal role of hustling grain around the field alongside my dad. There will be an added rush to all of the typical harvest duties this year, but hopefully, we will have a stretch of good, safe running to get everything in before Christmas.
My mom makes an incredible apple cake that I've shared with you in the past. She always prepares the best food for the field and I cannot describe how thankful I am to have her do that. It is so nice to have someone prepare a meal for you when you are the one used to preparing meals for others. Cake isn't a normal item in our daily meal boxes, but occasionally she will make some and I remember those days most. I feel like this year will need to have more cake days than usual.
I have been experimenting with various visiting cakes, which can be best described as simple cakes that can be enjoyed while visiting. Pears are in season this time of year and happen to be my favorite fruit to bake with, so you will find them in this cake.
One of the main ingredients in my fall cake recipes this year is regular sour cream. The texture of sour cream is luxurious and it elevates the consistency of the batter of this particular recipe. Don't use light or fat-free sour cream, it won't work as well. The tang from the sour cream adds a touch of acidity to balance the richness and sweetness.
The other note you'll find in the instructions of this recipe is to not overmix. Any cake benefits when the baker is not heavy-handed in mixing. I recommend folding the flour in so it is gently incorporated. A hand or stand mixer tends to be a little aggressive and can take a cake from tender to tough in less than five seconds of overmixing.
If you need me, you can find me in an inner tube floating down a waterway while eating cake until everything dries up. But when it is dry, I'll be the nearest green tractor with a blue grain cart hoarding this cake in the secret console under my right armrest.
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Pear Sour Cream Cake
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup regular sour cream
1/4 cup whole milk
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2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups peeled, chopped pears (approximately 3-4 pears)
Pecan Topping:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
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1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cold, cubed
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Beat for 30 seconds until well blended.
In a separate mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir in dry ingredients gently, do not overmix. Delicately fold in chopped pears. Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
Meanwhile, mix together nuts, cinnamon, brown sugar, flour, and cold butter until a coarse mixture forms. Sprinkle on top of batter. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-55 minutes until a cake tester comes out mostly clean and the cake is a deep golden brown on top.
Remove from oven, let cool to warm before serving. Serve warm garnished with sweetened whipped cream.
