Buttermilk Spice Cake With Pear Compote And Creme Fraiche

Total Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 large pinch salt
• 3 bosc pears, peeled, quartered, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon scant baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground whole star anise
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 vanilla bean, 3-inch piece split lengthwise
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lime peel
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups creme fraiche

Recipe

• 1 for pear compote:.
• 2 mix sugar, lime juice, and salt in heavy large saucepan. add pears and toss gently to coat. cover and cook over medium-low heat until pears are just tender, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. transfer mixture to bowl. do ahead: can be made 1 day ahead. chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled.
• 3 for buttermilk spice cake:.
• 4 preheat oven to 350°f butter and flour 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides; line pan with round of parchment paper. sift first 9 ingredients into medium bowl. using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. gradually add sugar, beating until smooth. beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend between additions. scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add lime peel; beat to blend. beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions, scraping down bowl occasionally. transfer batter to prepared pan.
• 5 bake cake until beginning to brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. cool cake in pan on cooling rack. do ahead: cake can be made 1 day ahead. cover and let stand at room temperature.
• 6 cut around pan sides to loosen cake. turn cake out onto rack; peel off parchment and turn right side up onto platter. sift powdered sugar over. cut into wedges. serve with pear compote and dollop of crème fraîche.