Walnut-Pear Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I made this prize winning cake this morning and I just loved it. I substituted Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour for the all purpose flour and I used soy sour cream and vegan margarine instead any dairy products. The flavor is very nice and nutty. It would go great with a cup of grain beverage coffee. I got this recipe from a Better Homes & Gardens mini-book called the Best of Hometown Cooking. This tasted much better after sitting in the fridge overnight.

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1  cup  chopped walnuts
• 1⁄3 cup  packed brown sugar
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2  medium pears, peeled, cored and sliced (2 cups)
• 2  teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
• 1  cup granulated sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 2  organic eggs
• 1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350'F.
2. Grease a 9" spring form pan or a 9x9x2 inch baking pan; set aside.
3. In a small bowl combine walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
4. For the topping: In another small bowl, cut the 1/4 cup butter into 1/3 cup flour until crumbly. Stir in 1/4 cup of the nut mixture.
5. Toss the pear slices with the lemon juice and set aside.
6. In a medium bowl, combine 1 3/4 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
7. In a large bowl beat the 1/2 cup butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in the granulated sugar and vanilla.
8. Add one egg at a time beating after each addition. Alternately add the flour mixture with the sour cream to egg mixture.
9. Beat on low speed after each addition until combined.
10. Spread two thirds of the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the reserved nut mixture. Layer the pear slices on top. Gently spread remaining batter over pears.
11. Sprinkle with reserved topping.
12. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
13. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack. If using remove the sides from your spring form pan and cool for an additional 30 minutes.
14. Bon Appetit!