I’m baaaaaaaack!

I returned from India one week ago. It was a wonderful, eye-opening, family-filled trip, which I’ll tell y’all about in much more detail later. As much as I loved visiting and being immersed in my culture, in true first-generation form, I also love being back. I am still American as much as I am Indian.

Here’s what I missed most about being away. I’ve already checked these things off my list as part of my welcome-back-week:

Tacos, preferably from Tacolicious
Deep dish pizza, always from Little Star
4G data
Drinking water whenever I want (I got water poisoning in India and it was NOT fun)
Regular exercise, preferably via Barry’s Bootcamp
Holiday cooking

Since we left mid-November, I missed the start of holiday cooking that arrives with Thanksgiving for the second year in a row (last year I was in South Africa). When I got back, my Instagram was clogged with photos of holiday cookies, cakes, roasted chickens, root vegetables, and all the other wintery things that make the December cold bearable. And then there’s me ordering a large deep-dish pizza and watching “The Fast and the Furious” (for the first time, actually!).

To kick off my v delayed holiday season, I wanted to make a simple yet festive dessert. By simple, I mean two bowls MAX, no fussy plating, and 2 ingredients max that I’d have to buy—everything else I should have in my pantry. And by festive, I mean all that dreamy, aromatic shit that people eat in December like warm spices, nuts, and crisp fruits. So I created this almond pear cake.

I didn’t dress this cake up with cute props for photos. I didn’t shoot multiple angles. I didn’t even bring this cake anywhere. I made it on a rainy Saturday morning after a trip to my corner bodega for pears and cream cheese. As it baked, I continued sorting through my India loot. And when it finished and cooled, I slathered on some frosting, sliced it, and sat by myself in my kitchen and ate it. It was simple and festive and perfect. And my holiday season has now officially begun.

Almond Pear Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Created by Shikha on December 2, 2018

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Prep Time: 15m
Cook Time: 50m
Total Time: 1h 5m

Serves: 8
Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 1/4 cups (292g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (98g) almond flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup (200g) brown sugar
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3/4 cup (150g) flavorless oil, like canola or vegetable
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large Bosc pears, chopped into 1/4\" pieces or smaller
8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds

For frosting:

Instructions

For cake:

Preheat the oven to 350ºf. Grease and line a standard loaf pan (8 1/2” x 4”, or similar) with parchment paper and spray again.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, oil, and maple syrup until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each, and then add the vanilla.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and then fold in the pears. It will be VERY thick but that\'s okay—just take your time to make sure there are no dry pockets of flour remaining.
Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes. Begin checking for doneness after 30 minutes and then in 10-minute increments afterwards.
Let cool completely before frosting.

For frosting + serving:

Use an electric mixer to beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the maple syrup and salt until combined.
Spread it over the completely cooled cake and sprinkle sliced almonds on top.