Pear Spice Cake with Mascarpone Frosting
Ingredients:
For the cake
- ½ cup salted butter (softened, 1 stick)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 1 cup Harry & David® Royal Riviera® Pears (chopped)
For the frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened, 1 stick )
- ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions:
To make the cake
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°. Butter and flour or spray three 6” inch pans (or two 8” or 9” pans), and set aside. In a medium-size bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Mix well. Add eggs, mixing until thoroughly incorporated.
- Add spices, salt, baking powder, and both flours. Mix until just incorporated. Fold in pears. Divide batter evenly between 3 pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges are a golden brown. Cool completely.
To make the frosting
- Blend butter and mascarpone cheese until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until well incorporated, about 30 more seconds.
To assemble the cake
- Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cooled cake before stacking the layers. Top with an additional sprinkling of cinnamon if desired.