Heavenly Overnight Croissant Bake Delight

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 medium ripe but firm pears, peeled if desired, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for crumb topping
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, for crumb topping
• 2 tablespoons rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, optional

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-by-8-inch metal baking pan with parchment, leaving a little overhang for lifting the cooled cake.
2. Toss the sliced pears with lemon juice and set aside while you make the batter. This keeps the fruit fresh and adds a small lift of acidity.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
4. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes with a hand mixer or sturdy whisk.
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the sour cream and vanilla. The mixture may look slightly textured, which is fine.
6. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until combined. The batter will be thick, so spread it gently into the prepared pan.
7. Arrange the pear slices over the batter in an even layer, overlapping slightly where needed.
8. Make the crumb topping by stirring brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, melted butter, oats, and coarse sugar if using until clumps form.
9. Scatter the crumb topping evenly over the pears, squeezing a few larger clusters between your fingers for a bakery-style texture.
10. Bake for 36 to 42 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter.
11. Cool in the pan for at least 25 minutes before lifting out and slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

• Choose pears that are ripe but still firm. Very soft pears can release too much juice and make the center heavy.
• A metal pan gives the cleanest bake and golden edges.
• Do not overmix after adding the flour; a gentle fold keeps the cake tender.
• If the crumb topping browns before the center is done, tent the pan loosely with foil for the final 8 to 10 minutes.
• Let the cake cool before slicing so the pear layer settles and the crumb holds together.

Storage

Store the breakfast cake covered at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Bring chilled slices to room temperature or warm briefly in a low oven before serving. Freeze individual slices, wrapped well, for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Variations

• Apple Crumb Breakfast Cake: replace pears with thinly sliced baking apples.
• Ginger Pear Cake: add 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger to the batter and a pinch of ground ginger to the crumb.
• Nutty Crumb Cake: add 1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans to the topping.
• Orange Vanilla Pear Cake: replace the lemon juice with orange juice and add 1 teaspoon orange zest to the batter.

Nutrition note

Approximate nutrition depends on slice size, pear variety, and specific ingredient brands. This breakfast cake is a sweet baked good and should be enjoyed according to personal preferences and needs.

FAQ