Name: Pear & Walnut Cake
Yield: One 9-inch round cake, 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: 3 medium ripe pears (Bartlett or Anjou), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1½ cups all-purpose flour; 1½ teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon salt; ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened; ¾ cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ cup whole milk; ⅔ cup walnut halves, roughly chopped; 2 tablespoons honey, for glazing; Powdered sugar, for dusting

This is a European-style cake — dense, not too sweet, studded with tender pear slices and crunchy walnuts. It's the kind of thing you'd serve with afternoon coffee or as a dessert with a spoonful of crème fraîche. It improves over a day or two as the pear moisture seeps into the crumb.

Ingredients

3 medium ripe pears (Bartlett or Anjou), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup whole milk
⅔ cup walnut halves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons honey, for glazing
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Method

Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment.
Toss the pear slices with lemon juice. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add the vanilla.
Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix on low just until combined.
Fold in half the walnuts.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the pear slices on top in concentric circles, pressing them in slightly. Scatter the remaining walnuts over top.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
While still warm, brush the top with honey — it gives a beautiful sheen and a little extra sweetness.
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then unmold. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
*Storage:** Covered at room temperature for 3 days. Refrigerate in warm weather.
*Seasonal note:** This cake actually tastes better on day two — the pears release their juice into the crumb overnight, making it even more moist and flavorful. If you're serving it for company, bake it the day before.