Spiced Pear & Hazelnut Crumble Cake
This is my idea of a perfect spiced pear cake, topped with a crunchy crumble topping. A cake that ticks all the boxes for both texture and flavour. Interestingly, one of the main spices in mixed spice is ground coriander—not a spice we typically associate with sweet blends, but it works beautifully in desserts. I’ve used it in the crumble topping here, adding a touch of extra warmth and intrigue to a cake already humming with subtle spice. It’s perfect for these sunny autumn days, with a hint of coolness in the mornings and evenings.
Ingredients
- 120 g soft butter, cubed
- ⅓ cup (60g) packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3 free-range eggs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 cup (150g) plain flour - can use spelt or gluten-free
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- pinch of salt
- 1-2 firm pears, cut into thin wedges (peeled, optional)
Hazelnut Crumble
- 40 g butter
- 2 tbsp honey
- pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup (50g) chopped hazelnuts
- ⅓ cup (40g) rolled oats
- 1 tsp lightly crushed coriander seeds (or use ½ tsp ground coriander)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 170C (fan 150C). Grease and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
- Make the crumble. Melt together the butter, honey and a pinch of salt. Once gently bubbling, remove from the heat. Add the hazelnuts, oats and coriander and combine. Set aside while preparing the cake batter.
- Place the soft cubed butter into a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Or use a large bowl and electric beaters. Add the sugar and honey and mix until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
- Combine the flours, baking powder, spices and salt in a bowl, whisking to combine and remove lumps. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl along with the milk. Use a spatula to fold together until just combined. Scoop into the tin, tapping on the bench to stabilise the batter. Evenly top with overlapping pear slices, then scatter over the hazelnut crumble.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out clean (check the middle of the cake). If needed, cover with a sheet of foil after 30-40 minutes to prevent the crumble from burning. The cake needs a longer cooking time to soften the pear.
- Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. This cake is wonderful served warm with yoghurt on the side. It can also be served cold and keeps well for a few days in an airtight container.