Marguerite d'Anjou Pear Cake

Marguerite d'Anjou Pear Cake

1 1/2 lbs soft pears, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/2"-3/4" chunks
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon brandy
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
3 egg whites or 2 whole eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350˚ Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of a 9"-round springform pan with parchment paper, then grease the bottom and sides of the pan. Set on a baking sheet and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the pear chunks, lemon zest and juice and brandy. Set aside.

Over medium heat in a large saucepan, melt the butter, being careful not to let it brown. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour, baking powder and sugar. Gradually stir in the egg whites (or two whole eggs). Fold in the pears and any accumulated juices then pour batter in the prepared cake tin. Bake in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool the cake in its tin for a few minutes, then turn out and serve warm.

Serves 6

Adapted from "Anjou Pear Cake" in BBC Good Food: Cakes iPhone app.

Print at Food.com
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Portrait in stained glass of Marguerite at Mucklestone Church (from flickr)

Born in 1430, Marguerite was the daughter of the Duc d'Anjou. She was married at the age of fourteen to England's King Henry VI, as part of a peace treaty between England and France. She wasn't able to get pregnant until 1453 and by the time she gave birth, Henry was so mentally and physically ill that he wasn't even aware of the birth of his son. Marguerite now became much more important in the political arena as she was forced to work with the protectorate of Richard, duke of York. An incapacitated king led to a power vacuum York was only two happy to fill. I don't want to get into the Wars of the Roses, because it's super-complex and would take a much longer blog post to explain! After the deaths of her husband in the Tower and her son on the battlefield, Marguerite spent 1471 to 1476 as a captive of Edward IV (the new king) and was finally released into French custody, where she died six years later, dependent on French King Louis XI, who confiscated most of her lands to compensate for his supposed expenses on her behalf (Diana E. S. Dunn, ‘Margaret (1430–1482)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/18049, accessed 6 Oct 2011).

So, not a very happy story, but I always loved her name and I think of her every time I see an Anjou pear, so I thought it appropriate to name a cake after her! Besides, I think she needs some love!