brown sugar pound cake with roasted pears and crème fraîche whipped cream

Quarantine baking continues. I know it's dangerous to bake and have all this deliciousness in my house but, oh well. I did include fruit 🍐 in this simple baking project. I have a small library of cookbooks including many from Food52 and that is where I found this brown sugar pound cake recipe, perfect for Fall baking. This is my idea of a plated dessert that follows a special dinner. The roasted pears are sweet and tender with their pan sauce served on top of the dense caramel flavored brown sugar pound cake. I might just make it again for the holidays, is there a way to get eggnog in the whipped cream on top? I'll find a way.

Ingredients and Recipe for Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Roasted Pears and Crème Fraîche Whipped Cream
Serves 8

for the brown sugar pound cake

1 & 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350F

Lightly coat a standard loaf pan with baking spray.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time until combined, beat in the vanilla.

Gradually beat in the dry ingredients, batter will come together, beat until just combined.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until cake tester comes away clean.

Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn out of the pan and continue to cool.

Cake may be stored in an airtight container for up top five days.

for the crème fraîche whipped cream

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup crème fraîche

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the whipped cream topping by beating the heavy cream, crème fraîche, powdered sugar and vanilla extract on high speed in a stand mixer until whipped into soft peaks. Store in fridge for up to two days until ready to use.

For the roasted pears

4 slightly ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cut in half, cored and placed in a bowl.

Lemon juice to sprinkle on pear halves

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375F

Place the butter and brown sugar in an oven proof container that will hold the pear halves, bake until butter melts, remove from the oven.

Place the pears cut side down in the melted butter brown sugar mixture and bake for 20 minutes on one side, turn pears over and bake for 15 additional minutes or until lightly browned.

for serving

Whisk the cream topping again, if needed.

Place a slice of pound cake on a dessert plate, top with a pear half and spoonful of pear pan sauce.

Top each serving with crème fraîche whipped cream.

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