Community Corner

Recipes: Think Spring with Pound Cake and Pears

Westhampton Beach Cookbook author Margaret Johnson shares her recipe for Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Cider-Poached Pears.

Looking for an easy and delicious dessert to celebrate the arrival of spring? A pound cake is your answer! The name “pound cake” comes from the rather precise recipe for a cake that calls for one pound of sugar, one pound of butter, and one pound of flour. Some additional flavoring, such as nutmeg, lemon juice, or vanilla, is often added. Today the ratio of sugar to butter to flour sometimes varies, but the results are usually the same. Pound cake is one of those reliable cakes that every culture seems to embrace because it goes well with everything. Try it with pears poached in Magners Pear Cider, a new flavor from the renowned Irish cider company, or some fresh berries. Serve it with plain whipped cream or flavor it with a few tablespoons of the poaching liquid. This recipe is from my newest cookbook Flavors of Ireland.

 Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Cider-Poached Pears

Serves 8 to10

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2 sticks unsalted Irish butter, at room temperature

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, at room temperature

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2 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups self-rising cake flour

6 large eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Butter a 10-inch/25 cm tube pan and line with wax paper.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Add the sugar, vanilla, and flour and beat on medium-low for 2 to 3 minutes or until blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

4. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the pan onto a plate, remove the cake and wax paper, and then return the cake to upright and let cool completely before cutting into slices.

5. To serve, put some pear slices next to each piece of cake and top with whipped cream, if desired.

Cider-Poached Pears

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup Magners Pear Cider

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

1 stick cinnamon

4 medium pears, peeled

 1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the sugar, cider, white wine, zest, and cinnamon to a boil. Add the pears, reduce heat to medium, and cook, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Cool pears in poaching liquid and then cut in half, core, and slice.

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Editor's Note: Margaret M. Johnson, of Westhampton Beach, is the author of six cookbooks and her latest cookbook called, Flavors of Ireland was released on Amazon on Feb. 23.


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