Autumn Roasted Pear Bundt Cake with Browned Butter Glaze

I love the flavors of Autumn!  I bake a lot with pumpkin and apples, but when a good friend mentioned she had a wonderful slice of Roasted Pear Cake in a tavern in Maine, well my taste buds began salivating and I couldn't wait to come up with something my family could enjoy.

Pears, like apples are Fall fruits and although there may not be as many varieties as apples, there is a pretty good variety.  I used Bartlett in this recipe, but next time, I'm trying Bosc or Anjou just to see if the flavors change.

Autumn Roasted Pear Bundt Cake with Browned Butter Glaze

2 1/2 lbs (about 5) pears
3 T water
3 T granulated sugar
juice from 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees.  Peel, core and chop the pears into 1-inch pieces.  Transfer the pears to a baking dish and toss them with the lemon juice, water, and sugar.  Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the pears are soft and cooked through, 30-45 minutes.

 Remove the foil and let the pears cool to room temperature, then mash them, leaving some larger bits of pear in the sauce.  Measure out 2 cups of pear sauce and set aside--you can save the rest to have with breakfast ;-)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup creme fraiche
3 cups King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. cardamon
2 cups Pear Sauce

Turn the oven down to 350F-degrees.  Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil and brown sugar together until fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add the creme fraiche and mix to combine.

Add the dry ingredients and the pear sauce, mixing just until combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap on the counter top to release any air.  Bake the cake until golden and cooked through--55 to 65 minutes.  Let the cake cool about 10 minutes in the pan, then invert it onto a rack to cool completely.

Browned Butter Glaze
6 T unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 to 4 T milk
pinch of salt

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, cook the butter until it lightly browns and smells nutty.  Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl.  Add a pinch of salt.  Let cool completely.

Whisk in the confectioners' sugar adding milk as needed to create a pourable glaze.  Pour over the cooled cake.

I wish I could say we were actually having Autumn, but alas...it's been in the upper 80s/90s and feels more like July!  However, a bite of this wonderful cake, I can imagine.  Enjoy!