William Sonoma Warm Pear Cake With Walnut Caramel Topping Recipes

WALNUT PEAR COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Place flour in a small bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 3/4 cup of nut mixture; set aside for topping. Set aside remaining nut mixture for filling., In a small bowl, toss pears with lemon juice; set aside. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. , Spread two-thirds of the batter into a greased 9-in. springform pan. Top with the reserved nut mixture, pears and remaining batter. Sprinkle with walnuts and reserved topping mixture. , Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Cool for 1 hour before cutting.

WARM PEAR AND WALNUT CAKE WITH LEMON CUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• For sauce: Whisk sugar and egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Bring half and half and lemon peel to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk hot half and half mixture into yolk mixture. Return to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Strain custard into bowl; discard solids. Whisk lemon juice and vanilla into custard. Chill untill cold, about 3 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.).
• For Topping: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Stir sugar and water in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush, about 10 minutes. Pour caramel over bottom of prepared pan. Overlap pears atop caramel.
• For Cake: Mix flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs and lemon peel; beat until light and fluffy. Combine milk and brandy in a small bowl. Mix dry ingredients into batter alternately with milk mixture in 3 additions each. Stir in nuts.
• Pour batter atop pears in pan. Bake cake until golden on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Run small knife around edges of pan to loosen cake. Place platter over cake and invert onto platter. Let stand 1 minute. Remove pan. Serve cake warm with cold sauce.

PEAR AND WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
• Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl.
• Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, oil, eggs, sugar, water and vanilla in large bowl until very smooth.
• Blend in dry ingredients.
• Stir in pears and walnuts.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake about 55 mins.

WILLIAMS-SONOMA'S BROWN BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Have all the ingredients at room temperature.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then cook until the solids separate and settle on the pan bottom, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Continue to cook until the solids brown and are almost burnt, 18 to 20 minutes more.
• Pour the brown butter into a bowl, leaving the solids in the pan (discard the solids).
• Let the butter cool at room temperature until firm.
• The brown butter can be prepared up to 2 days in advance; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Bring to room temperature before using.
• Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325°F
• Brush the pan with unsalted vegetable shortening and lightly flour.
• Tap out excess flour.
• Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• In a small bowl, combine the milk and vanilla.
• Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the brown butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour.
• Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, dividing it evenly between the two halves. Bake until the center of the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
• Tap the pan gently on a work surface to loosen the cake.
• Set the rack over the top of the cake, invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan.
• Let the cake cool completely, 3 to 4 hours, before assembling and decorating with vanilla buttercream.
• If you're using a 9x13 pan:.
• Butter and flour pan.
• Spoon cake mix into pan and smooth out.
• Bake at 325°F for 30-45 minutes, using a toothpick to test doneness.
• Cool for 15 minutes and remove from pan; setting cake on cooling rack to cool completely.
• Frost as desired.

WALNUT CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour half of the batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the caramels, butter and milk. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until melted. Pour over warm cake., Sprinkle with the walnuts and chocolate chips. Pour the remaining batter over chips. Bake 35-40 minutes longer or until cake is set and pulls away from sides of pan. Cool on a wire rack.