Apple & Pear Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
For me, apples and pears are quintessentially winter so they are the inspiration behind this spicy apple and pear cake with cream cheese frosting and salted caramel. The cake itself is not too sweet and has a dense, almost pudding-like texture. The sweetness of the cream cheese frosting and the salted caramel drizzle finishes this off perfectly.
Takelot asked me to take part in their #makewintergreatagain campaign It was a big YES from me.
I was thrilled to discover that they also have a very comprehensive baking section on their site and even though I’m pretty well stocked up on baking equipment, there were a few pieces of equipment that I simply had to have
4 pieces of equipment to up your baking game:
1. Anzo stainless steel cake lifter
How often have you tried to lift a cake onto a plate using egg lifters and prayer? I’ve wanted one of these lifters for ages as it can effortlessly move a whole cake from a cake icing wheel to a cake stand and visa versa.
2. Silicone baking mats
These are essential for lining cookie sheets and deliver even non-stick baking results. If you want to make perfect macarons, the macaron mat is the answer.
A cake-decorating stand is absolutely essential and will have you instantly decorating your cake like a pro. I can’t believe how easy it is to ice a cake with precision with it.
4. Blow torch
When you want to put the finishing touches on a lemon meringue pie or to Brule your crème caramel, a blow torch is an essential piece of equipment.
I wouldn’t even attempt to ice anything without using an offset spatula
Recipe – makes 1 large 2-layer cake – serves 12
Cake
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup of sunflower oil
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 x 400gm tin pie apple slices – roughly chopped
- 1 apple, peeled and grated
- 3 pears, peeled and grated/chopped (aprox 1/1/2 )
Preheat the oven to 180 C
Line 2 x 22 – 23cm spring form round cake tins with baking paper.
Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Add the oil, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, and continue to beat.
Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and add this to the mixer with the other ingredients and mix briefly until well incorporated.
Fold in the chopped fruit until it’s well mixed and divide the mixture between the two baking tins and bake for an hour (60 minutes) until firm. You know the cake is baked when a sharp knife is inserted into the middle and comes out clean.
*tip* if the top of the cake is getting too dark but it is not yet baked through, loosely cover it with a piece of tin foil around halfway through the baking time.
Allow the cake to cool on a rack before removing it from the tin
Cream cheese Icing
- 100gms butter (room temperature)
- 125gms cream cheese
- 3 cups of icing sugar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Using an electric mixer, whisk all the above ingredients until pale and fluffy. Decorate the cake when it is cooled.
Salted caramel
- 200g sugar
- 80g butter, cut into small cubes
- ½ cup cream
- a pinch of sea salt flakes such as Maldon
Dissolve the sugar in a heavy-based pot. *Be extremely cautious here, as molten sugar can burn you if it comes in contact with your skin. Mix the sugar gently as it dissolves to prevent over browning in patches.
As soon as the sugar has dissolved, remove it from the heat.
Add the butter in parts while whisking continuously.
Return the pot to the heat and add the cream, still whisking vigorously.
When the sauce is smooth and well combined, remove it from the heat, add a pinch of salt and stir to dissolve. Allow it to cool completely, then stir in another sprinkle of salt but do not let it dissolve – the crunchiness adds texture. Taste it and add more salt if desired.
Drizzle the salted caramel over the iced apple and pear cake.
*This post has been sponsored by Takealot
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So delicious! Wow!
this looks absolutely delectable – If I won the voucher I would buy a good pot ware set like the Berlinger Haus 4-Piece Marble Coated Induction Cookware Set – Burgundy #makewintergreatagain
I would buy your cookbook, Sam! And the rest would go toward that chef’s knife that I have my eye on 🙂
I really want a food processor Would but that
This looks so yummy. I would defintally buy a bread loaf tin by le creuset on takealot mind has rusted and I’m forever baking in it
I know it might not completely fit in with the #makewintergreatagain concept, but I’d looove to buy a propper icecream machine from Takealot, like the Taurus Casa Gelat Ice-cream maker that actually freezes itself.
From your suggestions for baking, I’d definitely choose the cake stand – from Humble and Mash.
Keep up with the awesome blog!
Megs
Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice!! 🙂
Ah Megs, Ice cream is a proper #makewintergreatagain recipe. Nothing better.
Wonderful looking cake!! I cant wait to try this recipe this weekend. I really need a cake decorating stand and a blow torch even tho my hubby has reservations on the the latter 😀
This cake looks divine. I would buy a cake decorating stand to make this cake for my upcoming engagement party.
#makewintergreatagain
Looks amazing. I have my eye on an aeropress coffee maker. Nothing better than a slice of cake with some coffee!
Oh my word! I don’t think I’ve seen a cake I’ve wanted to eat so badly. I have to give this a try before warmer days #makewintergreatagain
I would love to buy my own icecream maker if I did win
Oooh this cake looks great!! I’d looove a blowtorch! I need a cookie cutter set, they don’t come cheap and I’ve started a small business. I have zero funds. I’d also buy a cake stand to take pics of lovely cakes for my baby site. I love the new look by the way! Congratulations Sam! Thank you!!
As soon as I’m home I need to make this cake. Haven’t put my kenwood chef properly to test yet. On takealot I would buy a good food processor.
Wow!! So many things to buy on Takealot but if I win I will buy the High Precision Digital Milligram Scale @R499 because in baking everything should be measured precise for success 🙂
I am busy making a list of things I need for my new kitchen I’m moving into soon. I would love to buy a decent set of Victorinox knives from Takealot!
Wow, it looks amazing. Will have try out the recipe this weekend.
I would def buy your book Sweet amd the rest would go for silicone baking sheets! They help alot with the catering and baking – that cale just looks absolutely amazing and sooo moist! Wish I could take a bite right now!!! Holding thumbs and toes for luck!!!
This looks unbelievably amazing and so beautifully styled! <3
I would buy a kitchen aid.
Would put it towards a new Xiaomi phone 😀
I’m so making this cake! … there are so many things I want (need) on the takealot site – the Aeropress Espresso & Coffee Maker, the Regent or Nova cast iron Chinese teapot & yes I need a few Victorinox knives too! X
Love the new look Sam. Clean, clever and just beautiful.
Yum. I would get a coffee maker (indulge..) to have a perfect cuppa with a slice of cake or a food processor (practical…) to help me make it.
Ooh yum! Looks delicious!!
A Xiaomi phone? *rushes off to Google*
Sooo many covetable things but this little guy has caught my eye – Bosch – Coffee Machine Compact Class 1100 Watt in Red.
This is such a dreamy cake and has me ready for fall favors with the apples, pears, and that luscious salted caramel. Must bake this!
I am so impressed at this delicious cake – I am salivating, a perfect combination of all my favorite ingredients and flavours – PERFECTION
OMG! ????????This cake looks absolutely delicious. Definitely going to give it a try! I love takealot and would love to get the Jamie Oliver Round Spring form Cake Tin (23cm). I too have a ton of baking goodies but the quality of these tins looks and feels great. #makewintergreatagain
Love this recipe!! Can’t wait to try it.
I am a recipe book addict, I take recipe books as my books to read on holiday and I read a recipe book most nights before bed so my purchase on Take alot would without a doubt be a new book and I have my eyes on ‘Plenty’ by Yotam Ottolenghi.
This is stunning Sam! I really want a piece!!
I’d put it towards a Philippa air fryer
I would love to have the cake stand for icing, love baking and this would make icing soooo much easier
Thank you very much for the incredible recipe. I’d love the Fine Living Digital Kitchen Scale & the Anzo stainless steel cake lifter.
What pears do you use. I bought pears weeks ago and they are still too hard to eat let alone grate.
It would be hard to beat your apple and banana cake from Sweet. That caramel icing is too divine. I’d like to get some of those flat scrapers for chopping up bread dough? Thoroughly enjoying my sourdough baking at the moment but man is that dough sticky!
This cake is divine! How would one adapt the recipe to make a loaf rather than a cake? These flavors are perfect for fall.
I would use the voucher to buy a pressure cooker. You’ve been raving about it so much that’s I’ve convinced myself that I need one 🙂
Yes, please!
Hi – it is defs more a cake than a loaf and also it’s quite big. You could halve the recipe and make one large loaf. I have another pear loaf on my blog which is one of my all-time faves.
Hi David, I used Fiorelle pears that were ripe and ready to eat. You need to catch them before they go soft but too hard is also not an option. I’m not sure why your pears are taking so long to ripen?
That is one of my favourite books of all time
This cake looks delicious! Funny, because many of the things you listed I have needed for a long time (offset spatula and cake decorating stand. actually just a cake stand at all too!). I’m also on the hunt for some new healthy recipe books, so I’d definitely use a voucher towards that.
I’ll buy my girlfriend a present
I baked this cake yesterday and took it to work. It was a real winner! It was finished before lunch time!
Hi, Belinda – I’m so glad the cake worked out and your colleagues enjoyed it. I’d say, lucky colleagues 🙂
I actually didn’t have fresh pears so i chopped tinned pears to same quantity and made it small pieces. The cake was nice and moist and all my colleagues agreed the best cake I made so far (yes I love to bake!). Worked very well.
For the competition: I would buy an offset spatula as this cake was delicious but didn’t look as neat and tidy as yours do! Could also use some silicone mats for some cookies I want to bake
So this cake will be baking in my oven this weekend… sounds amazing!
If I win I would use the voucher towards some new kitchen toys!! I need a minicer attachment for my kenwoodaughter chef as it’s almost Christmas cookie time! Love keeping up the tradition by baking all grannies traditional cookie recipies as gifts.
Now that’s a positively decadent cake….perfect for today’s Durban chill with a cuppa!
Hi Sam, What a lovely cake. If I were to win some Takealot vouchers I would buy a series of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” books for mt grand-daughters.
This looks so yummy I’m totally going to try make it really caught my eyes
Almost too gorgeous too eat!
After reading your recipe on mexican chicken, I would definitely invest in a pressure cooker from Takealot!
Good afternoon All, well for me the first thing I would by will be a Jug Blender I just love smoothies
I would buy the Tefal grill pan! This looks so yummy
I am definitely trying this recipe this weekend, it looks divine!! I’d have to make up my mind between two items that I would put the voucher towards, a PRESSURE COOKER – I have been dying to get one for ages, there are so many yummy recipes that calls for them, and it would give me more time with my family – and a EXERCISE BIKE – because I have to work off the Winter’s yummy desserts in time for Summer!
Where there is apples and pears you will find Cinnamon…..gotta love he flavour combination xx
Thanks Linnell and agree, a great flavour combo
I will buy the cake decorating stand.I always wanted one,will make decorating cake a lot easier.I bake for a hobby and love to try out new recipes.Will definitely try this Apple&pear cake it looks yummy.
Oh my soul. I can just about lick my screen right now! This looks absolutely divine. Lady you are gifted.
Hmmm looks yummy and delicious,if I win,pleaaaase can I win.I will use my voucher towards buying an ice cream maker and a cake decorating stand..I love making ice cream,my princess loves the ice creams I make…and the cake decorating stand will make life easiet# holding thumbs and toes to win..I love Takealot,such convenience shopping
This cake is a winner. Served it last night to a highly appreciative group. Many oohs and aahs. It looked wonderful, tasted great. I did use freshly poached apple instead of the tinned version – I’m a scratch cook by preference. The caramel was a bit tricky as it went hard when added the (soft) butter, but having used this method before (melting sugar on its own) I was able to fix it quickly without much hassle using the cream, then added the rest of the butter after the cream. Thank you Sam.
Thaks for hte feedback Anne and IM so glad you liked the cake. Poached apples defs better than tinned. The caramel is tricky – its just one of those things. I have made it so many times now so I guess I’m used to it but timing is everything.
Thanks to everyone that entered the voucher goes to Lamblovesthyme.
I would buy your cookery book. I am addicted to cookery books and read them like a novel. I have them piled on my bedside table.
Oops a bit late. Have just been linked to your website through Th he View from Great Island. Glad that I have found you, though.
Thanks, Trisha and I am the same with cookbooks. Always a pile next to my bed.
Hey, American based baker here 🙂 Quick question about the ingredient “400gm tin pie apple slices” Is this just plain canned apple slices? Or are they spiced in some fashion?
Hi Maddy – yes it’s just regular tinned apple slices not flavour added.
Made this cake for work and it was such a hit. Fabulous recipe! Everyone loved it.