Brown Butter Pear Cake

Ingredients & Measurements:
Browned Butter Cake:
3 ⅓ cup (495g) all purpose flour
6 Tbsp. (40g) corn starch
1 tsp. (5g) baking soda
2 tsp. (10g) baking powder
1 tsp. (7g) salt
5 sticks of unsalted browned butter
1 cup (210g) granulated sugar
1 cup (215g) brown sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 tbsp. (11g) vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (370g/12oz/350ml) buttermilk

Salted Caramel
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons (90g) salted butter, room temperature cut up into 6 pieces
1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 teaspoon flake salt

Poaching Sauce/Simple Syrup
5 Bartlett pears
4 cups (890g/32oz/1000ml) of water
½ cup brandy (St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur)
1 cup (210g) of granulated sugar
1 cinnamon stick split into two
4 cloves
1 vanilla bean split (seeds removed)
½ tsp salt

Ermine Frosting:
4 tbsp. (35g) flour
1 cup (215g) sugar
1/4 tsp. (2g) salt
1 cup (8 oz, 250ml, 240g) milk
2 tsp. (10g) vanilla extract
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter room temp. 

Caramel Pear Buttercream
4 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups (450g)powdered sugar
2 tbsp. (22g) pear simple syrup
2 tbsp. (22g) pear brandy
3 tbsp. Caramel
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. (7g) salt

Instructions:
Cake Instructions:
Step 1: Brown Butter
To brown the butter, place butter in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often until the butter begins to turn brown and smells nutty. Remove from heat immediately and transfer to a heat proof bowl to cool. Be careful, the butter is very hot!

Step 2: Prepare Pans
I prefer to use 3 8 inch pans for this recipe. I also like to use these cake pan strips to ensure an even bake. Soak the cake strips in cold water for 10 minutes. Butter and flour the cake pans, then wrap with the water soaked strips.

Step 3: Make Cake Batter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, corn starch, baking soda, baking powder, salt). In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl combine the browned butter and sugars. Mix until light and fluffy for about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix in. In 3 batches, alternating add ⅓ of the dry mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk, then add another third of the dry mixture, followed by the rest of the buttermilk. Mix in the rest of the dry mixture and mix just until combined.

Pour the batter evenly in the three prepared cake pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the cakes are golden brown and cooked through.

Remove the pans from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then carefully pop the cakes out of the pans and let cool completely on a cooling rack. Once cooled you can wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the cake.

Step 4: Make Caramel
While the cake bakes and cools you can work on step 4 and 5. Start by making the caramel. In a heavy lined saucepan, place the sugar and turn the heat on medium. Allow the sugar to cook without touching until it begins to turn brown and melt in the pan, using the handle of the pot, gently whirl the sugar syrup around the pan. Once the sugar has melted, carefully add the butter. Adding the room temp butter to the very hot sugar will cause it to bubble up, don’t panic just allow it to calm down a bit then carefully using a heat proof spatula stir the butter into the sugar. If the sugar clumps up or the butter breaks (separates) take the pot off heat and whisk vigorously and carefully until the mixture comes together. Continue to cook the butter and sugar for 2 minutes without stirring, then carefully add the vanilla extract and heavy cream (again because these two ingredients are a lot cooler than the caramel, it will bubble). Stir the mixture until it’s mixed together and allow it to boil for another minute without stirring. Remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly before transferring to a container. I prefer to use a glass mason jar to store my salted caramel.

Step 5: Poach Pears
Peel skin from pears, cut in half vertically and remove the seeds with a spoon. Be careful to ensure the pears keep their shape and are left with a nice round hole.

Place all ingredients in a deep saucepan. You want the pears to be completely submerged in the liquid. Bring the liquid to a low simmer, add pears and let simmer on low for 20 minutes. If the liquid reduces, you can spoon the liquid on the exposed pears or turn the pears in the liquid every 5 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove pears and place on a plate to cool.

Step 6: Simple Syrup
After removing the pears, allow the liquid to simmer another 10-15 minutes until it reduces slightly. Allow the syrup to cool, and transfer to a container.

Step 7: Make the Ermine Buttercream
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, salt and sugar until smooth (no lumps). Then transfer mixture to a medium sized heavy saucepan and cook stirring constantly for about 7-10 minutes until the mixture is super thick. Be careful not to cook too high because the milk will burn and ruin the whole batch. Once the mixture has reached the right consistency transfer to a heat proof container and cover with plastic wrap, be sure to place the plastic on the surface of the mixture to avoid a skin from forming. Let it come to room temp, then place it in the fridge. This mixture needs to be cool to the touch, you can do this a day or two in advance, be sure to bring the mixture out of the fridge about 30 minutes to come to room temp before using it. 

In a bowl of a stand mixer mix the 2 sticks of room temperature butter for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Start adding the Ermine base 1 spoonfuls at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix on medium high for about 3 minutes after all of the base has been incorporated. Mix until the mixture is stiff enough to stay on the whisk without falling off. 

Step 8:: Make American Buttercream
In a large bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy for about 4 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, salt, caramel, simple syrup and brandy. Mix for 1 minute and then slowly incorporate the powdered sugar. Mix buttercream for 3-4 minutes adding more brandy if too thick. You want a smooth creamy buttercream.

Step 9: Assemble Cake
Reserve 3 of the best looking pear halves. Slice the other 5 halves into thin slices, the sliced pears will be the filling for the cake.Place a small amount of buttercream on the center of the cake plate you are using. Then place one of the cakes on the center of the cake plate.

Using a spoon, spoon the simple syrup on the cake. Pipe an edge of buttercream along the edge of the cake. Spread a layer of buttercream in the center, then layer teh sliced pear on the buttercream. Cover with the next cake and repeat. Let the cake chill in the fridge for 15 minutes to allow the filling to set slightly. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and crumb coat with buttercream. The look for this cake is a semi-frosted cake so some cake will be exposed. Once the cake is frosted, place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.

Take about 5 tbsp of caramel, in a small dish heat the caramel up slightly in the microwave. Add 1 tbsp of brandy and mix so that it is a drizzle consistency. Let the caramel cool slightly then drizzle on the top of the cake in a circular motion. Add the poached pear halves on the top of the cake, using buttercream to prop the pears up. Drizzle caramel around the pears. Place the cake in the refrigerator to set completely.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator an hour before serving to allow the buttercream to come to room temperature. Then enjoy!