This cake has gotten raves at my family’s holiday gatherings and as a special breakfast or weeknight dessert. People go bonkers for the almond-paste topping.
Ingredients:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 large eggs
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
½ cup extra-light olive oil
1/3 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups plus 1 Tbsp self-rising flour
2 large pears, peeled, cored, cut into ½-inch cubes
11/3 cups dried tart or Bing cherries
1 7-oz tube almond paste
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar
Di​rections:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch-diameter springform pan with 2½-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line pan bottom with parchment paper; spray parchment. Using electric mixer, beat 2 eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, oil, milk, and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. Add 1½ cups flour; beat just until combined. Stir in pears and cherries. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Smooth top.
- Crumble almond paste into medium bowl; add cinnamon, 1 egg, 2 Tbsp sugar, and 1 Tbsp flour. Using electric mixer, beat mixture just until blended. Spoon atop cake batter. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with small moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Run knife around pan to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Peel off paper. Transfer cake to plate; sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Cover; let stand at room temperature.)
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