This cake features seasonal pears baked in a sticky maple syrup. Perfect served warm with a scoop of ice cream.
Ingredients
Serves 8
2 tbsp butter
½ cup *pure maple syrup
3 small firm pears, peeled, halved and cored
½ cup caster sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups plain flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
½ cup milk
Method
- Preheat oven to 170°c and grease and line a 22cm cake tin*
- Place the butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and allow the sauce to simmer gently for 2-3 minutes. Pour into the prepared tin and allow the syrup to cool slightly before arranging the pears in the sauce, flat side down.
- Beat together the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and ground ginger.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with a little milk and mixing in between, until it’s just combined.
- Dollop the cake batter on top of the pears and gently spread the mixture to cover the pears evenly.
- Bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the tin before turning out onto a serving plate.
- Enjoy warm with a dollop of double cream or a scoop of vanilla icecream.
*If using a springform tin, make sure the bottom fit is very tight, otherwise the maple syrup mix can ooze out during cooking. If unsure use a regular cake tin or place your springform tin on a baking tray to catch any spills.
*Maple syrup
Pure maple syrup comes from the sap of maple trees. It has a distinct flavour and is useful an alternative to sugar or honey. Make sure you're using real maple syrup and not manufactured maple-flavoured syrup.
