Pear Spice Cake

It looks like we're heading into some fall weather this week!  I have some lentil & barley soup on this week's menu and homemade bread.  I made this Bundt cake for church potluck last week and it turned out really good.  The pear flavor was noticeable and the spice cake was moist and well-balanced.  I made a simple powdered sugar icing but a browned butter or praline topping would be good too.  You could probably also easily replace the pear with apple or persimmons.  Bake something with fall spices - your house will smell awesome and it will put you in a good mood!

Don't forget to play the game on my last post - I bought a cute prize for the winner!

Pear Spice Cake (makes 1 Bundt cake)
adapted from Joy the Baker

2 cups all purpose flour
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1.5 tsp ground allspice
1.5 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
4 small pears, peeled and grated

Butter and flour your Bundt pan or spray it with baking spray.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg at medium high speed until fluffy (about 3 minutes in a stand mixer). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and then beat in the vanilla.

Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in batches, mixing well after each addition.  Gently fold in the grated pear.  Spoon batter into pan, smoothing on top and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 40 minutes.  Cool cake in pan 10 minutes and then turn out into a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing:
Put 2 cups of powdered sugar in a bowl.  Add milk, a couple teaspoons at a time until it's the consistency you want.  Drizzle over the cooled cake.