Spiced Pear and Almond Cake

From “Jewish Holiday Feasts” by Louis Fiszer and Jeannette Ferrary

4 cups cored and coarsely chopped ripe pears (5-6 pears)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped blanched almonds
Confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 10-inch round cake pan.

Combine pears and sugar in medium bowl and let stand 15 minutes.

Combine oil with eggs and add to pears.

In another bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, baking soda and salt. Stir into pear mixture. Add vanilla and almonds.

Pour into prepared pan and bake until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool on a rack about 20 minutes before turning out. Invert onto a serving platter and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Serves 12