Pain d’Épices Pound Cakes with Fresh Blueberries and Dried Pears
3 Loaf Cakes (or 1 Loaf and 16 Mini Cakes)
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups dried pears, cut into ½” pieces (about the same size as the blueberries)
2 limes (zest and juice)
12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp fine sea salt
2 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp dried ginger
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla paste
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1) Cut the dried pears to roughly the same size as your blueberries. Toss them with the blueberries in a medium bowl.
2) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray three loaf pans with cooking spray and line with parchment leaving a one-inch overhang on all sides (or one loaf pan and 16 mini-loaves).
3) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
4) In the bowl of a standing mixer, with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar and lime zest until aromatic. Squeeze the lime juice over the berries/pears and toss to combine.
5) Cream the butter and sugar in a standing mixer 1-2 minutes until butter is light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs, 1 egg at a time.
6) Add the vanilla paste to the creamed butter/sugar and mix to combine.
7) On low, add 1/3 of the dry mix, then half of the buttermilk, 1/3 of the dry mix, remaining buttermilk. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the last 1/3 of the dry along with the berries and pears.
8) Divide the batter between the prepared pans and sprinkle with granulated, or sanding, sugar. Place the pans in the oven and reduce the heat to 325 degrees.
9) Bake the cakes until a wooden skewer comes out clean – the loaf cakes will bake for 50-55 minutes, and the mini loaves will bake for 23-25 minutes.
