Pear Cake With A Splash of *HIC*

I'd eyed the recipe for a Pear and Grappa Pound Cake in the Soprano's cookbook for a while. Only now did I finally make it! I'd never made a pound cake before but it wasn't all that hard. Like a lot of cakes, the wet and dry ingredients are mixed separately before incorporated together where the wet was a soupy, curdled-looking mess. Yet when the dry was added, it became a light, delicate batter. Since I don't have grappa but lots of cognac, I threw that in since brandy is an acceptable replacement according to the recipe.

I baked it for just an hour instead of the recommended hour and fifteen and it came out moist, fragrant and just plain delicious. I was worried it would over bake and become dry so I'm quite glad I opted not to follow as written. After it cooled, everyone was quick to gobble it up. Mind you, it's not a small cake so there's still plenty left, but it's always obvious when a cake is considered really good. ;)

I had thought of trying this cake with the cognac first and if I liked it, I would buy grappa to try it as written. However, I like the fragrance that the cognac adds so much that I don't want to change the way I make this! It's really just enough cognac to lend an edible aroma so there's no alcohol pungence overwhelming the tongue and nostrils that's all mixed with syrupy sweetness like in rum cakes. It's quite mild in that sense and perfectly suitable for younger eaters.

With the buttery goodness of a pound cake and the addition of alcohol, this is the perfect cake to indulge in! Especially for those not a fan of frostings of any quality, I'd say this is the way to heaven. =9~ I'm definitely making this one again! Actually, I plan to make it for Christmas dessert!

Straight out of the oven cooling down while still in the tube pan: