Pear Tart (cake)

This cake can be made using other fruit such as apples, plums or peaches. I didnt have one big pan so I used two smaller sandwich tins greased with baking paper. It's really easy to make, light and tasty.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened, unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pound pears (Concorde or Anjou), (I used 1 ½ pounds pears)
• Juice of ½ lemon, divided 
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.
2. With an electric mixer, cream ½ cup butter and 1 cup sugar on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, then baking powder, salt, vanilla, and nutmeg (if using).
3. Beat in flour on low until batter just comes together. Spread in pan. Place in refrigerator and chill for at least 20 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 375°F/ 190C.
5. While crust is chilling, core and slice pears into 1/2-inch slices. Toss them with half the lemon juice, so they don’t turn brown. Set aside to wait for crust to finish chilling.
6. Remove crust from refrigerator, and arrange pears in tight concentric circles on top of dough. Squeeze remaining lemon juice evenly over pears.
7. In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons sugar  with cinnamon. Sprinkle over pears. Bake for 45-55 minutes (mine were in smaller tins so it took a lot less time maybe 25 min) or until edges are golden and center is set. It will puff up quite a bit in the oven, but settle back down as it cools.
8. Cool tart in pan for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edge. Remove sides of pan.
9. Serves 8.