Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 12 c Bundt pan with nonstick spray, then butter and flour. Puree canned pears until smooth. Place ¾ c puree in small bowl for cake (you don’t need the rest) and mix in buttermilk and vanilla.
Sift flour and next 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add brown sugar and beat until blended. Gradually beat in molasses. Beat in eggs 1 at a time (batter may appear curdled). Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternatively with pear mixture in 2 additions.
Transfer batter to pan. Bake until tester comes out clean – about 55 mins. Cool cake in pan on rack for 10 mins. Turn onto rack and cool completely.
Compote:
- ¼ c unsalted butter
- 2 ½ lbs Bosc pears, peeled, halved and cored into ¼
in slices
- ½ c sugar
Melt butter in large skillet over high heat. Add pears, sprinkle sugar over. Saute until pears are tender and juices thicken, stirring often, about 18 mins. Let stand at room temp at least 1 hr.
Note: when I made this, this inside of the cake was dense, but still tasted good.
-from Mari