A must-have for the coffee table: fruity pear and marzipan sheet cake with fluffy yeast dough
When the days grow cooler or the weekend approaches, there's hardly anything better than the aroma of freshly baked cake from your own oven. A classic sheet cake is always a good choice, especially if you're expecting a larger group or want to make a small supply for the coming days.
- 60 g sugar
- 1 packet of dry yeast
- 250 ml milk
- 60 g Butter
- 3 Owner (M)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 500g flour (plus a little extra for the work surface)
- 200 g Marzipanrohmasse
- 100 g Butter
- 80 g sugar
- 2 Owner
- 100 ml Stage
- 50 g ground almonds
- 1 packet of vanilla sugar
- 5-6 pears
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Icing sugar (for dusting (optional))
- Almond flakes (for sprinkling (optional))
- Gently warm the milk and dissolve the yeast in it.
- Mix together milk, sugar, butter, egg and salt, add the flour and knead to form a smooth dough.
- Cover the dough and let it rise for 45-60 minutes, until it has noticeably increased in size.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (top/bottom heat) and line the baking sheet with baking paper.
- Meanwhile, peel the pears, remove the cores, and cut them into wedges. Drizzle with lemon juice.
- Grate the marzipan finely using a kitchen grater.
- Cream together marzipan, butter, and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the cream, ground almonds, and vanilla.
- Roll out the risen dough to the size of the baking sheet and press it evenly onto the baking sheet.
- Spread the marzipan cream on the dough and place the pear slices close together on top.
- Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, until the dough and topping are golden brown.
- Let the cake cool until lukewarm. Optionally, sprinkle or dust it with a few flaked almonds and powdered sugar, then serve.
Recipe for pear and marzipan sheet cake
Marzipan often divides opinions. While some prefer to nibble on the delicate almond paste on its own, others only discover their appreciation for it later in life. The mixture of almonds and sugar truly unfolds its full potential when baked. In the oven, the sugar caramelizes gently, and the essential oils of the almonds blend with the other ingredients. This creates a well-rounded and rich aroma that goes far beyond mere sweetness. Marzipan's true strength is revealed particularly when combined with fresh fruit, elevating any baked good to a new level.
The almond paste and pears form a particularly harmonious combination. The gentle acidity and juicy texture of the fruit create a wonderful contrast to the rich and sweet marzipan cream. You might already be familiar with this combination from classic desserts or winter treats. If you use ripe pears, they naturally provide plenty of juiciness, which keeps the cake wonderfully moist even after it has cooled. The interplay of fruity freshness and nutty depth makes every bite exciting.
The base for this sheet cake is a classic yeast dough. It provides the necessary stability and creates a wonderfully fluffy texture. The yeast dough forms a soft bed for the subsequent layers and absorbs the juices released by the pears without becoming soggy. Spread a smooth marzipan cream over the prepared base. Then, arrange the peeled and sliced pears in a fan shape on top. During baking, the fruit sinks slightly into the cream and becomes inextricably linked with the base.
A sheet cake is ideal when you're expecting a lot of guests. If there are any leftovers after coffee, the cake keeps beautifully. Simply cut it into manageable pieces and freeze them in portions. When needed, take the pieces out of the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature. If you warm them briefly in the oven before serving, they'll taste almost like they're freshly baked. This way, you always have a delicious treat on hand when unexpected guests arrive or when you simply want to treat yourself.
