Prettier on a plate: fig cake

Fig cake with almonds on top
It looks homely here -- I bake it in a skillet -- but it gets pretty on a plate

I decided to use figs in my pear cake recipe. Then I couldn't find that recipe. The possibility that the delicious, easy, adaptable cake would never again be made in my kitchen made me wild. I guess I've collected so many recipes that I get lost trekking through them. I did find it, finally. Once you try this cake you too will never want to lose it; it's great with apples, pears, berries, and now I know it is best of all with figs. This time I added 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom and topped it with toasted slivered almonds and a sprinkle of sugar.

Patricia Wells' pear (or fig) cake

 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for buttering the cake pan 

2 or 3 large ripe pears (for a total weight of 1 1/2 pounds) peeled, quartered and cured, with each quarter cut into 4 slices 

7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1/2 cup sugar 

2 large eggs, at room temperature 

3/4 cup sifted cake flour 

2 tablespoons pear brandy or eau de vie (I skip this and add a teaspoon of vanilla.)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Butter the inside of a 10 1/2-inch springform cake pan or a tart pan with a removable bottom. Sprinkle with one teaspoon of vanilla sugar.

3. Arrange the pear slices in a circle just inside the outer edge of the pan, slightly overlapping them. Fill in the interior ring with remaining overlapping slices. Sprinkle with one tablespoon of pear brandy. (I skip the brandy and it tastes fine.)

4. In a medum-sized bowl, cream the butter and the remaining sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing until well blended. Add the flour and mix just until the ingredients are combined. Mix in the remaining one tablespoon of pear brandy.

5. Spoon the batter over the pears in a thin layer. Do not be concerned if the batter does not completely cover the pears, because it will spread out as it bakes.

6. Bake until the cake is firm and nicely browned, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool. To serve, unmold the cake and serve it as is, or with a dollop of whipped creme fraiche.

Yield: Eight servings.