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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Note: you can also line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper for easier release.
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Whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
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Cream butter and brown sugar in a large bowl using a hand mixer on high speed.
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Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
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Add vanilla and beat to combine.
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Add flour and beat on low speed until just combined. Do not over-mix.
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Stir in pears and almonds.
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Divide and spread batter evenly into prepared cake pans.
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Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes.
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Turn out cakes onto wire racks and cool completely.
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Dust tops of cakes with confectioners sugar. For a lace design, place a paper doily on each cake before dusting. Carefully remove doily after dusting.