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Sunday, April 07, 2013

Bourke Street Bakery Sour Cream Pear & Raspberry Cake - Fantastic Cake

Thanh: What cake is this, it's amazing.
Michelle: It's a sour cream pear and raspberry cake from Bourke Street Bakery.
Thanh: So this cake is from the Burch and Purchese book?
Michelle: Yep. I've got the book and this was the first recipe I tried.
Thanh: Wow, it's an amazing cake and I must go get the book.

Above is roughly how the conversation went between Michelle and myself at a food bloggers picnic at Albert Park. When I tasted the cake she had brought, I was hooked on how delicious it was. But due to the loud noise, we misheard each other and I thought that Burch and Purchese had started to make these simple desserts. Not only until later did we clear up that it was a Bourke Street Bakery Sour Cream Pear and Raspberry Cake which Michelle had made previously. That made far more sense as this cake is definitely in the style of Bourke Street Bakery.

This cake is a simple butter style cake but with a great texture and an amazing flavour. What got me was this recurring fragrant hint, and then a punch of tartness. I tried to guess the fruits in it, and the raspberry part was easy. But the other element, I just couldn't pick. When Michelle told me it was pear, I was quite surprised. I didn't know pear would taste so good in a cake. So, obviously I got the recipe and have made the cake many times since to great appreciation by everyone that's tried it.

Here are some tips to help you make the best cake possible.
*This recipe makes a huge cake. Even in the 28cm tin, it rises out of tin. You could put into two smaller tins even.

*The cake is quite sweet but I like it that way. I think any other berries besides raspberries won't work as well as the raspberry really punch through with a tartness that enhances this cake greatly.

*Michelle said the recipe required you to make your own stewed pears. She was lazy and just used canned pear and so did I. It tasted great with the canned pear and I would put even more than the recipe suggested. Lay out the pear neatly and evenly so that every piece of cake has some pear.

*I don't sift my flour and it doesn't seem to affect the cake.

*The raspberries can get a bit burnt during baking if they're exposed. Depends what you want to do but you can push the berries inside the cake but I like them a bit exposed as it's prettier and some burnt bits taste great.

*The cooking time for this cake seems to take a lot longer in my oven. It takes about 90 minutes sometimes.

Sour Cream Butter Cake with Pears and Raspberry
Recipe adapted from The Bakeanista

INGREDIENTS
250g unsalted butter
355g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
200g sour cream
300g self-raising flour
1 can (approx 400g) of sliced pears
1 cup of raspberries

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line baking paper in a 28cm cake tin.

2. Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until pale and creamy.

3. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure each one is completely incorporated before adding more.

4. Add the sour cream in two batches, then add the flour in two batches, until well combined.

5. Add mixture to cake tin. Arrange the pear wedges in an even circle around the tin. Sprinkle raspberries evenly.

6. Bake for 55 - 75 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

7. Remove from the oven to cool for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

18 comments:

  1. That sounds like an amazing cake, we'll have to make it next weekend. :)

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    1. It's such a good cake. I hope you've tried it?

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  2. LOL I didn't know about the convo at the picnic hahaha and how you thought it was Burch and Purchese :) I really should remake this cake it was such a winner all my colleagues liked it!

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    1. Yeah it was so funny. Definitely make this cake.

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  3. How is Burch and Purchese the same as Bourke St Bakery? HAHAHAH

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    1. Haha it's nothing alike. But that's why it's a misunderstanding.

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  4. I just made this cake this afternoon! I've only just taken it out of the oven so I haven't had the chance to try it yet. I did lick some of the batter off the spatula though and loved it, so looking forward to tasting the final thing when it's cooled down. I also halved the sugar for this recipe :)

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  5. Looks delicious. Does it last well? For instance, could I make it the night before and then serve it at a lunch the following day? Thanks :)

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    1. The cake does last a few days before it gets a bit firmer. Definitely make it the night before and it still tastes amazing the next day.

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  6. Yay!!! I thought Mich's cake was SUPER amazing at the picnic too. How fun! I gotta make this cake for Mum and Dad cause it's exactly the kind of cake they like to eat. Fresh fruits, hot out of the oven and no icing/cream haha

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    1. It's such a simple basic cake that really appeals to people who don't like super sweet cakes covered in icing.

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  7. I have that Baked and Delicious cake server thingo :P
    OMG that cake was soooo good!

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  8. Mhmmm that cake is so good.

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  9. I have made this cake I too reduced the sugar. I made a pear cider caramel and then put thin sliced fresh pears in the caramel. Don't forget to double line the tin. I put the batter on top of the pears leave to rest for half an hour and then upend it and caramelise with blow touch. I serve it with a lemon zest end sweetened sour cream. It's a good recipe.

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    1. I reduce the sugar sometimes too. Ooh you're caramel sounds amazing. I never though about serving it with sweetened sour cream but I will try it now. Thanks for the tip.

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  10. Keen to try this recipe as it looks so good! Would like to reduce the sugar though as it looks like an awful lot. How much do you recommend the sugar to be reduced by? Thanks!

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    1. I normally use 2/3 the amount of sugar in the recipe and it's nice to me, not too sweet.

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