Gluten-free pear cake

Who says gluten-free recipes can't be tender and juicy? The pear cake that you have before you, in addition to being easy, tender and juicy, is gluten-free . To get this wonder you only need one “secret” ingredient: gluten-free polenta (yellow cornmeal).

As you already know, you can make a multitude of dishes with polenta, such as the typical Italian "concia" polenta that is made in a baking tray and then cut into portions; or the oily one, which is the salty version that I like the most, since it looks like a kind of porridge or purée, perfect to accompany any dish of meat, fish...

This sweet version is perfect for people who are intolerant or allergic to gluten, since it does not contain wheat flour, only "gluten-free" polenta. I emphasize that it is gluten-free polenta because although polenta is cornmeal, not all brands are gluten-free, it is very important that the symbol appears on the package or simply that it is specified as "gluten-free" or "gluten-free"; If you do not have any intolerance or allergy you can buy any brand.

If you like extra juicy and moist biscuits, you will love this one. The pear makes the cake super moist as if it had some kind of syrup and together with the polenta and almonds it has a spectacular texture. Plus it's so easy to do that you'll be doing it all the time. This juicy interior contrasts with its crunchy exterior. In addition, cooking it in a ceramic mold like Emile Henry's makes cooking it more spectacular, since its outer texture is even more crunchy.

Emile Henry ceramic mold , Pallarès knives and T&G wooden shovel

Ingredients

• 200 g butter at room temperature
• 200 g of brown sugar
• Juice and zest of 1 orange
• 3 eggs L
• 200 g ground almonds
• 200 g instant gluten-free polenta
• 1 teaspoon of chemical yeast powder
• 3 ripe but still firm pears

KitchenAid food processor , Emile Henry ceramic pan , Pallares knives and T&G wooden shovel

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 ºC heat up and down with the rack in the center. Grease a mold and place parchment paper (optional) at the base of the mold.
2. With the help of the KitchenAid robot , we beat the butter together with the sugar until we get a soft and fluffy dough. Add the juice, zest, beaten eggs and almond. We beat until incorporated.
3. Add the polenta together with the yeast and beat everything until a smooth and uniform mixture is obtained.
4. Pour the dough over the mold, smooth the surface and place the pears as follows: cut the pears in half from the stem; we remove the seeds with a Parisian spoon; We cut the pears very thin vertically from the stem without reaching the end so that the pear remains attached at the end. Finally, we place the pears in the mold, opening them slightly as if it were a fan.
5. Bake in the central part of the oven for 40 minutes or until cooked and when inserted with a toothpick it comes out clean. Finally, let cool on a wire rack.

Suggestion: Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

KitchenAid food processor , Emile Henry ceramic mold and T&G wooden shovel