Firm, crisp pears poach beautifully without breaking down or falling apart. The longer the pears stay in the flavorful liquid after poaching, the better they’ll taste.

Pear-Treacle Cake

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray two 8-in.-round baking pans with cooking spray. Line pans with parchment paper. Spray parchment paper with cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine eggs and milk in a small bowl; set aside. Combine butter, brown sugar, molasses and corn syrups in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted and brown sugar is dissolved. Cool.

Whisk together oats, flour, baking powder, ginger, allspice and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in brown sugar mixture until combined. Whisk in egg mixture until combined.

Divide batter evenly between prepared baking pans. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, peel off parchment paper and cool thoroughly.

Prepare Vanilla Buttercream, Poached Pears and Sticky Toffee Sauce. To assemble, place a cake layer on a cake stand. Spread top with thin layer of Vanilla Buttercream. Add second cake layer and spread top with thin layer of Vanilla Buttercream. Spread thin layer of Vanilla Buttercream on sides of cake layers. Cover cake loosely and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Just before serving, toss Poached Pears with Sticky Toffee Sauce. Spoon mixture on top of cake, letting sauce drip down the sides.

Vanilla Butter Cream: Place butter in a medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and 1 to 2 Tbsp. Hy-Vee 2% reduced-fat milk to reach spreading consistency.

Poached Pears: Combine sweetened apple juice and cinnamon sticks in a skillet. Bring to boiling. Add pears, peeled and halved and/or quartered. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until pears are tender. Cool.

Sticky Toffee Sauce: Combine dark corn syrup, butter, brown sugar and molasses in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Cook and stir  until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in heavy whipping cream. Cool.