Flourless California Walnut Cake with Poached Pears

This flourless, gluten free cake perfectly showcases the flavour of California walnuts - serve with poached pears and crème fraiche for a show stopping dessert or tea time treat.
Prep Time 1 hour
Servings 8 Slices
Calories 513kcal

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • Butter for greasing
  • 350 g California walnuts
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 4 eggs
  • 225 g golden caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp icing sugar

For the poached pears:

  • 4 ripe conference pears
  • 8 cardamom pods
  • Pinch of saffron
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 150 g caster sugar
  • 250 ml water
  • Greek yogurt or crème fraiche to serve

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C, grease and line the base of a 9-inch cake tin with a circle of baking parchment.
  • Place the walnuts into a food processor and blitz until you have a flour like consistency.
  • Separate the eggs into 2 mixing bowls.
  • Whisk the egg yolks, lemon zest and caster sugar with an electric hand whisk until pale and creamy, then whisk the egg white to stiff peaks.
  • Mix the blended walnuts into the egg yolks, then fold in the egg whites.
  • Spoon the cake mixture into your prepared cake tin, place on the middle shelve of the oven, and bake for 35-40 minutes (or until cooked in the centre and risen).
  • Meanwhile, peel the pears and cut in half, scooping out the core with a melon baller or teaspoon, and bruise the cardamom pods.
  • Add the peeled pears, saffron, cardamom pods, lemon juice, caster sugar and water to a medium sized saucepan over a low heat and poach the pears for 15-20 minutes, or until soft and infused.
  • Slice the cake into 8, and serve each slice with a poached pear on the side and a blob of Greek yogurt or crème fraiche.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 513kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.2g | Protein: 10.3g | Fat: 33.2g | Saturated Fat: 4.3g | Fibre: 4.1g | Sugar: 45.8g

Notes

Salt: 0.13g.
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