Poached Pear on Orange Pound Cake with Dried Fruit Compote and Apricot Sauce

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Poached Pear on Orange Pound Cake with Dried Fruit Compote and Apricot Sauce

Author Laura McIntosh

This sophisticated dessert brings together the luxurious sweetness of poached pears, the comforting aroma of orange pound cake, the rich depth of dried fruit compote, and the elegant finish of apricot sauce. Serve this masterpiece and let your taste buds dance in delight!

Ingredients

Orange Pound Cake

• 1/2 lb (2 sticks) Butter, softened
• 1 cup Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 tbsp Orange Zest
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour, sifted
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tbsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 cup Heavy Cream

Honey-Poached Pears

• 3 cups White Wine
• 1 1/2 cups Honey
• 3 firm but ripe Pears, peeled, halved, and cored

Dried Fruit Compote

• 1/2 cup Honey
• 1 Granny Smith Apple
• 2 cups Dried Apricots
• 1 cup Dried Cranberries
• 1/2 cup White Wine

Apricot Sauce

• 1 package (about 2 cups) Dried Apricots
• 1/2 cup White Wine
• 1/2 cup Orange Juice
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/4 cup Sugar

Instructions

Orange Pound Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF (163ºC). Butter a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
3. Add eggs one at a time while mixing at medium speed. Mix in vanilla extract and orange zest.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Gradually add half of the sifted flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing at low speed. Add the heavy cream.
6. Mix in the remaining half of the flour mixture until just combined.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
8. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Honey Poached Pears

1. In a large saucepan, combine white wine and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
2. Simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened and golden.
3. Add the pear halves, rounded side down. Cover the pan and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes, basting occasionally.
4. Serve the poached pears warm.

Dried Fruit Compote

1. Peel and core the Granny Smith apple, then dice it into 1/4-inch pieces.
2. Chop the dried apricots into similar-sized pieces.
3. In a nonstick saucepan over medium heat, melt honey until fragrant.
4. Add the diced fruit and cook until softened.
5. Pour in the white wine and cook until the mixture thickens.
6. Serve the compote warm.

Apricot Sauce

1. Combine dried apricots, white wine, orange juice, water, and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Simmer until the apricots are tender (about 10 to 15 minutes).
3. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then blend until smooth using a blender.
4. Strain the purée through a fine-mesh sieve.

To Serve

1. Slice the orange pound cake into 8 slices.
2. Place a slice of cake on each serving plate and top it with a honey-poached pear half.
3. Spoon the dried fruit compote over the pear and drizzle the plate with the apricot sauce.

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