Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

Step 2

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom.

Step 3

Blend the almond paste, sugar, butter, almond extract, and vanilla in a food processor until light and fluffy.

Step 4

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl between each and allowing the eggs to incorporate before adding the next. Add the flour and pulse several times until just combined.

Step 5

Fill the pan with batter, smooth the top. Add the pears, so they are poking up above the batter, securing with a skewer, so they don’t slump under the batter. Bake for about 50-55 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Step 6

Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, run a knife around the outside edge and remove from pan, set on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Then remove cake from the base of the tube pan.

Step 7

Stir together the powdered sugar, cream, Poire Williams liqueur, and cardamom, adding the cream a bit at a time until the mixture is thin enough to pour over the cake, but thick enough to cling.