Spiced Pear and Cardamom Cake

I went looking for a cake idea for my Mother in laws 64th birthday celebrations the other day, one that didnt contain any chocolate as they are migrane inducing for some poor family members! (the stuff of nightmares for me right there!!) 

Anyway, I came across a picture of a pear and cardamom cake on Instagram that I thought looked amazing but couldnt find a recipe anywhere for one that didnt include chocolate, so I took this recipe and made a few adjustments, came up with this.. and it is a winner! 

Spiced Pear and Cardamom cake

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon cardamom
250g butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

3 large pears, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 180°. Generously grease a 10-cup round cake tin.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and cardamom. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer (or food processor like me) on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Stir in sour cream.

Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture. Mix just until combined. Stir in pears.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake 50-55 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, remove cake from pan to wire rack to cool completely.

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I had been wanting to make Swiss Meringue Buttercream for ages and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.. I'm now hooked! So much nicer than regular frosting and not half as sweet. I looked up a number of recipes and settled on this one from Serious Eats.

• 1/2 cup egg whites from about 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 250g butter, cubed and softened at room temperature
• Pinch of salt
• In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. Place the bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl. Continue to whisk until sugar has dissolved (you can check by rubbing a bit of the mixture between your fingers; the mixture shouldn't feel grainy). If you're not worried about salmonella, you can take the mixture off the heat and proceed.
• If you want to pasteurize the meringue, keep whisking until the mixture registers 160°F on a thermometer, then remove from heat. Using a hand-held or a stand mixer, beat the warm mixture until the meringue holds stiff peaks and has cooled to room temperature.
• Beat in vanilla. Add butter one cube at a time, beating well with the electric mixer after each addition. Sprinkle with salt and continue to mix. The mixture may start to look as if it’s separating during this process but don't panic, just keep beating and the buttercream will come together and become smooth.
• (Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container or a zipper-lock bag for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months. To use buttercream that has either been refrigerated or frozen, first allow to come to room temperature, then beat until smooth and spreadable again. Cakes or cupcakes decorated with buttercream generally keep up to 3 days when refrigerated in an airtight container. Allow buttercream to come to room temperature before serving)
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• Decorate your cake and enjoy! 
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Homemade Pasta

My charlie boy LOVES lasange... he would eat the entire dish all by himself if he was allowed to!! For his birthday dinner last week it was a no-brainer as to what we would have!! To make it extra special I made the pasta and then wondered why I don't make it more often!! So easy and so cheap and sooooo much tastier!

Here is my super simple recipe courtesy of this lovely lady.

Note - I used my pasta maker (which was a super cheap bargain from Kmart!) but this can also easily be done without one - its a great work out for those arms ladies!!

For enough pasta for a family sized lasange or fettucine for 2-3 adults.

2 cups plain flour
2 eggs
1 tsp salt

Pile the flour onto the bench and make a well in the centre into which you drop the eggs and salt. Fork the flour into the eggs until the mixture is a pliable dough. (Try to keep a wall of flour all the way around the eggs or they will shoot all over the bench!!)  You may not need all the flour as different flours have different abilities to absorb liquid so maybe use half a cup less to begin with and add more as needed.

When you have a soft dough knead it thoroughly for 5-10 mins or run it through the roller of a pasta machine 5 or 6 times. The dough should make a snapping sound when you cut through it.
If you have time leave it in the fridge for half an hour (but not overnight as it goes a very funny colour!)

Roll the dough out on the bench. It is an elastic mixture so stretch it as you roll and be assertive with it. When you have it as thin as it manageable trim the edges and dust with flour.

For lasagne: Use in flat sheets
For fettucine: Roll loosely and slice across the roll into ribbons.
For Ravioli: Cut circles or squares of pasta and brush the edges with water. Place little mounds of tasty filling in the midde. Lay another layer of pasta over the top and press down very firmly.