Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake ~ #BundtBakers

Pear, honey, and rosemary are just flavors that work together so well.  

Do yourself a favor and make this bundt, you will be so happy that you did.

Sometimes I wish I had a small area to keep bees.  Sure, I am somewhat allergic and swell up when stung, but I am always fascinated by the bee hives, honeycomb, and the buzz of the busy little workers. When I was little I would cry when I was stung, not because it hurt, but because I knew that the bee would die as a result. In high school I remember a teacher telling me that if we could just keep honey in our throats we would never get a cold. Whilst this may not be entirely true, honey does provide many amazing health benefits such as fighting disease, healing wounds, and providing a boost of energy.

This month the Bundt Bakers were asked to make bundts sweetened with honey. I love the idea of incorporating a savory element into my baking, and my rosemary is going crazy in the garden, so it seemed the perfect herb to add to a cake containing honey and pear.

My favorite pear is a Bartlett Pear, but you could use Anjou or Bosc if you want firmer pieces of pear in your cake. The rosemary flavor was nice but subtle, so the next time I make this cake I would probably melt the butter and then add a few stems of rosemary to it so that it can infuse for an hour or so, and then pull out the stems before adding the pear and the chopped rosemary.  Alternately you could just up the amount of chopped rosemary if you like the flavor as much as I do. The only other change I would make would be to cut down the amount of granulated sugar, or even just replace it with honey, being careful not to compromise the structure of the cake.

This cake is so easy to put together, has a lovely tender crumb, and cuts beautifully. It has a lovely homey and comfortable taste that suits an afternoon tea, but it is fancy enough to serve as a dessert. A little dollop of whipped cream on the side would be a great accompaniment, especially if it is clotted cream or table cream as both has a somewhat more heavy, savory taste than regular whipped cream. If you have never tried table cream do yourself a favor and grab a tin to try.  I always place it in the refrigerator so it becomes thick, and then I can grab a spoonful for desserts.  Or alternatively you could just pour a little over a slice of cake.

If you would like to know more about the Bundt Bakers and see what the other bakers made for the Bundts Sweetened with Honey theme please scroll down below the recipe.



Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake
Printer Friendly Recipes

Ingredients

Pear Honey Mixture ~

• 30g (2 tablespoons) butter
• 2 cups peeled and chopped pear
• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Cake ~

• 230g (1 cup) butter, softened
• 312 g (1½ cups) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 345g (2¾ cups) all-purpose flour
• 5g (1 teaspoon) baking soda
• 3g (1 teaspoon) kosher salt
• 115ml (½ cup) whole milk
• 160ml (½ cup) honey
• confectioners’ sugar for garnish

Preparation

Pear Honey Mixture ~

1. In a medium saucepan, melt 30g (2 tablespoons) butter over medium heat. 
2. Add pear and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until pears are soft. 
3. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Cake~

1. Preheat oven to 165℃ (325°F).
2. Spray a 10-cup Bundt pan with baking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt: set aside.
4. In a small bowl, stir together milk and honey: set aside.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat granulated sugar, vanilla, and 230g (1 cup) butter at medium speed until fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
6. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
7. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.
8. Using a spatula, stir in the pear mixture.
9. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
10. Bake until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 1 hour.
11. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack, and let cool completely.
12. Just before serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar.

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Mahalo to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for hosting this month.

This wonderful group is administered by Stacy of Food Lust People Love.  Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month ~

• Honey Apple Dessert Bundt from Sneha's Recipe
• Honey Babka from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Honey Elderflower and Marmalade Bundt Cake from Nunca es demasiado dulce
• Honey Flower Bundt with Coconut and Spelt from PatyCoCandyBar
• Honeyed Apple Bundt Cake from Making Miracles
• Jolly Holiday Spice Bundt Cake from Simply Inspired Meals
• Lemon Honey Olive Oil Bundt from Food Lust People Love
• Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Sweet Honey Cornbread Bundt Cake from Patty's Cake