Pear and Cardamom Spice Cake

This moist, fruit and nut cake is delicious, the combination of pears and cardamom give it a unique flavor. I entered this cake in the Spring Fruit Sensation event hosted by Eat The Right Stuff.

Pear and Cardamom Spice Cake Recipe

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. crushed cardamom
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
5 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
3 or more walnut halves
3 Tbsp. honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour springform pan.

Cream together butter and sugar, add eggs and mix well. Combine flour and baking powder, add to butter mixture along with milk and mix well. Add cardamom, chopped nuts and poppy seeds. Reserve one third of the pear slices, set aside. Chop the rest of the pears and fold into batter.

Pour batter into baking pan. Fan pears around the pan, add a few walnuts in center.

Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Brush top of cake with honey and cool on wire rack.

This recipe has been adapted from "Cakes & Cake Decorating, Step-by-Step" by Angela Nilson, Sarah Maxwell & Janice Murfitt