Pear-Almond Cake

• 2 pounds ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced
• Juice of one lemon
• 23 cup butter at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons eau de vie de poire (optional)

1. Butter and flour 9-inch springform cake pan.
2. Toss pears with half of lemon juice and set aside.
3. Cream 8 tablespoons of butter ( 1/2 cup) with 3/4 cup of sugar.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well.
5. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt and add remaining lemon juice and almond extract.
6. Stir until ingredients are incorporated.
7. Batter will be thick.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
9. Spread batter in cake pan and cover with sliced pears.
10. Dot with tablespoon of butter.
11. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar, then scatter almonds on top.
12. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and dot with remaining butter.
13. Bake about 50 minutes, until very lightly browned.
14. Allow cake to cool slightly before removing sides of pan.
15. If desired sprinkle finished cake with eau de vie de poire.
16. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.
17. Do not refrigerate.
18. Whipped cream, ice cream or bittersweet chocolate sauce go well with it.

lemon, butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, almond, almonds, poire

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/2000 (may not work)