Coconut and Pear Cake with Apricot Cream Cheese Icing

I am a fan of Jordan Rondel's baking recipes.  Jordan is an Auckland baker who has also now expanded to L.A.  Some time ago, she published a recipe for Coconut and Pear Cake with Marmalade Icing.  This cake sounded devine, so I prioritised making it.

I was not sorry that I did.  This luscious cake combines moist pears with the sweetness of coconut, with a tangy cream cheese frosting.  I did not have any marmalade for the icing, so I used apricot jam instead.  I also only made half of the icing.

To make this cake, you will need:

150g butter
150g brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
100g plain flour
50g dessicated coconut
50g almond meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sour cream
2 pears, cored and cubed

Icing

200g cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons apricot jam

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Grease and line 2 x 22cm round cake tins.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy.   Beat in the vanilla, then beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Gradually mix in the flour, almond meal, coconut and baking powder.  Fold through the sour cream.

Divide the mixture evenly between the two cake tins.  Scatter the pears evenly over the top of each cake and press down lightly.  

Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool on the tin for 10 minutes before unmoulding onto a wire rack to cool completely.  

For the icing, beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add the vanilla and jam and beat until well combined.

Spread half of the icing on top of one of the cakes, then top with the other cake and spread the remaining icing over the top of the cake.

Slice and serve.