Trondheim, Chocolate, and Pears, in a Nutshell

A migration is on the cards.

Now that’s official and known, I have no hesitation to admit that it’s getting beyond control. The preparation, the wrapping up, and the closing of an episode. 

How should one feel to move base after four years of thriving in a place? Do we grow roots so fast? Does it hurt to loosen up? Should I feel excited to get into a new life, new environment, new challenges? Or should I feel sad at leaving Trondheim behind?
Frankly, I haven’t yet had the chance to be pensive about the move. There’s stimulation, there’s responsibilities for projects yet unfinished, there’s a terribly busy schedule which should be strictly adhered to, and there’s Lill Bay Leaf who makes your life busier, and entertaining all the while, with her thousand antics and new vocabs.

And, of course, there’s revisiting Trondheim.

While the packers and movers do their job and we finish ours, our minds are recapitulating what we liked about this city over the past four years. We are trying to visit those options, we are trying to cement those memories, and make our albums heavier. In the coming few posts, dears, you are going to be bogged down by my Trondheim memoirs. And what about it?

~ This small town of approximately 260,364 people (never thought there were so many – you don’t often meet them until you go skiing in the mountains or at the university campuses when the sun shines) is amazingly beautiful with its fjordes and mountains. This, probably would be the only place we have lived, unless we withdraw in some holiday retreat, where you draw your curtains open every morning and the blue sea beseeches and the snowy mountains beckon. A bonfire? An outdoor barbecue?

~ It is here we took our extended holiday; holiday because work never feels so binding, so stressful, and so away from home and family. The normal working hours stretch between 8 am and 3 pm, after which you are free to go home and enjoy your hobbies, your kiddo, your baking lessons (had there been any here).

~ Wanna vacation? Take five weeks off along with the full paycheck and hit off to Spain, Hawaii, or Thailand. No one would raise their brow at you even if the whole department is off. Just take care not to accidentally meet your 'leader' on the beach. And if you do, offer her (mind the 'her' - it means woman empowerment in full fervour) a drink.

~ While we were working between 9 and 4 (that’s flexi-time) and holidaying afterwards, we focussed on things that we loved to do. We went out for walks, we went for basement movies, we went for swing courses, (and salsa) and exploring new ingredients that we never saw at home markets, and searched for vegetables that were so common at home but you don't find here, and cooking and baking. And baking. And cooking. And making ice creams with a hand held blender.

~ And there were more baking. This would definitely take a prime position because it’s only here that my dream or desire of baking the near-to perfect cake (now that’s what is modesty) came true. After a few burnt and concrete-like and raw doughed ones. Now, I should speak of cakes. And just cakes.

This list will go on and on.. but I'll give you a break. Here’s something else I must talk about – probably something that will make you a tad attentive, if you are still there.

This pear cake that I found in Chocolate & Baking from the Super Cookery series while I was on a pear frenzy, buying these on every occassion we hit the stores as if they were soon going to be extinct, is one of those you can make in a jiffy, if you are going to have guests in less than 30 minutes and should serve a warm dessert, or would snack on along with tea and friends spread under the maple tree. It’s chocolatey, it’s rich, and fresh. It looks beautiful before and after its trip into the oven. And it’s possibly quite flexible and can be tried with other fruities. (Need inputs on that though.)

Chocolate and Pear Sponge Cake

~~ adapted from Chocolate & Baking

~ Soft brown Sugar – 1 cup
~ Eggs – 3, beaten
~ Self raising flour – 150 g or 5 ½ oz or 1 ¼ cups
~ Cocoa powder – 15 g or ½ oz or 2 tablespoons
~ Milk – 2 tablespoon (I used almost half a cup to whip up the sour cream. No butter in my cake-batter.)
~ Pears – 2, peeled, cored, and sliced
~ Butter – 175 g or 6 oz or ¾ cup Or Buttermilk / Sour cream – 1 cup

Optional:

~ Caster sugar – 2 teaspoons
~ Lime juice – a few drops
~ Butter – 1 teaspoon, melted
~ Raisins - 2 teaspoons

If by any chance this came to your mind – what was Bay Leaf doing with all those pears – well, they were getting poached or roasted in vanilla and honey most of the times. So when I had to slice the pears and arrange them on the batter, they seemed drab and boring. So the butter and the lime juice spruced them up and the sugar sprinkle added a little caramel. Here’s how.

1. Slice the pears, spread them out on a dinner plate, work up the butter and the lime juice, and use a pastry brush to coat the slices with this mix. Sprinkle them with sugar.

2. Grease your 23 cm or 8 inch springform cake round and line it with parchment.

3. Sieve the flour and cocoa powder and set aside.

4. If using butter, cream it together with the brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Otherwise, start with the eggs. Beat in the sour cream or buttermilk and the sugar until thoroughly mixed.

5. Add the flour and cocoa mix to the wet ingredients and gently fold in until well combined. Stir in the milk.

6. Pour the batter in the cake round, level the surface, and arrange the pear slices on top. Finish with a cluster of raisins in the center and a sprinkle of sugar on the pear slices. Bake at 180 C or 350 F for around an hour or until the cake is just firm to touch and the skewer, when inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out clean. Cool cake completely.

Note: Notice that this doesn’t use baking powder or any leavening agent. The cake is supposed to be quite flattish so as to support the pear slices neatly.

Also, if you are using butter, the cake dough can be quite viscous. My batter was towards runny because of the sour cream plus milk addition. The pear slices were getting half-drowned, so had to shove it into the oven in a hurry. But the cake was nicely moist. To my experience, the butter version made it a little chewy and more on the dry side if you have it till the next day. Or the day after. Do let me know your experiences if you are making these – whichever version. 

Serving options: I whipped up a cup of heavy cream with a little sugar and cocoa powder and served a dollop of it on the cake pieces. Alternatively, you might drizzle some melted chocolate.

This cake really went outdoors, so don’t have pictures of the slices but would be great if you can share your pics of this cake.