Makes three 6” cakes
- 227 g (1 cup) unsalted butter – room temperature
- 400 g (2 cups) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk – room temperature
- 10 oz (1 and 1/4 cups) whole milk – room temperature
- Zest of 1 orange
- 383 g (3 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Honey Buttercream
Yields enough to frost 1 cake with leftovers
- 400 g (2 cups) granulated sugar
- 6 large egg whites
- 454 g (2 cups) cold unsalted butter – cut into 1” cubes
- Pinch of cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) vanilla extract
- 90 ml (6 tablespoons) raw buckwheat or clover honey
Easy Poached Pears
- 1 liter of water
- 200 g (1 cup) sugar
- 4 Bosc pears – peeled with stem intact
- Optional: Vanilla extract, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, cloves, star anise, slices of fresh ginger, orange peel