Shortcake can have a lot of meanings. In America, a shortcake is a sweetened biscuit with cream and fruit, typically strawberries. In Asia, namely Japan, a shortcake is a light spongecake, but with the same accompaniments of cream and fruit. I wanted to make a pear shortcake with this gorgeous snow-white aesthetic just to capture the feeling of winter, but also showcasing one of my personal favorite flavor combinations in ginger and pears. I strongly associate that pairing(word puns are fun) with my mom, since whenever my sister or I were sick, she would steam pears and ginger together and feed that to us to make us feel better. What I love about this cake was that is has this gorgeous, snow-white aesthetic, but when you taste it, it has a very comforting flavor profile(for me anyways, since it was inspired by something my mom would make for me). The pears have a velvety texture from being poached with sugar, ginger, and sake, and they are paired with a rich yet tangy goat milk-ginger pastry cream, and soft layers of cake and whipped cream to finish. The flavors are very well-balanced, as the cake is not too sweet, thanks to the goat milk and ginger tempering the sugar, while having essentially a light as air texture from using a chiffon cake as the cake layers. From a technical standpoint, temperatures and waiting will be your best friend. While we do use chiffon cake for the cake layers, by baking the cake in a flat sheet, the chiffon cakes quickly and runs less risk of sinking into itself. The cake is also soaked with the leftover poaching liquid from the pears just to prevent it from drying out, layered up with those poached pears and the custard, and covered with the cream for that snow-white appearance. I love how opulent the cake looked, being a celebration of pears! From an aesthetic standpoint, this is a cake I could totally see in an Asian bakery.

Makes 1 6-inch cake, or 8 servings:
For the chiffon:
6 egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
a pinch of salt

In a bowl, whip the egg whites with sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, mix together the egg yolks and canola oil. Sift into that the flour and salt, and then fold everything with the egg whites to form a batter. Spread the batter onto a lined quarter sheet tray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18 minutes. Once the cake is cooled down, cut out 2 6-inch rounds and press the remainder into a 6-inch ring mold to form a third layer.

For the ginger-sake pears:
1 large Korean pear
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp grated ginger
1 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
a pinch of salt

Peel and slice the pear into 1/4-inch thick slices. In a pot, bring sake, ginger, water, sugar, and salt to a simmer. Then place into the pot your pear slices, allowing them to simmer in the liquid, with the pot covered, on low heat for 10 minutes. Allow the pears to cool before using in the assembly process. Reserve the poaching liquid to soak into the cake with.

For the ginger-goat milk pastry cream:
1 cup goat milk
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
a pinch of salt

In a pot, steep the goat milk with the ginger on low heat for 5 minutes. Then in another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Pour half of the milk into the egg yolks while whisking. Then pour the egg yolks into the milk and whisk everything on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the custard begins to thicken and cling to your whisk. Pass the pastry cream through a sieve to remove any lumps. Allow the pastry cream to cool, covered with cling wrap pressed against the surface, until time to assemble.

For initial assembly:
Line a 6-inch ring mold with acetate and place onto a small sheet tray. Place down the scrap layer of your cake first, then sprinkle onto the cake 2 tbsp of the poaching liquid. Spread onto that the custard, then a layer of the pear slices. Repeat this for the second layer. Then place on the third round of cake, and apply onto that more of the soak. Freeze the cake solid, at least 2 hours, before attempting to unmold it.

For the chantilly cream:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Whisk everything in a bowl until thick peaks form. Spread the cream around the entire cake in an even layer, using an offset spatula to help with that. With any spare cream, transfer it to a piping bag and pipe the cream on top of the cake. Adorn the top of the cake with the remaining pear slices to finish.