Ingredients
Serves 8-10
- 110g (4oz/1/2 cup) soft light or dark brown sugar
- 110g (4oz/1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in cubes
- 175g (6oz/generous 1 cup) plain flour
- 110g (4oz/1/2 cup) caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 150ml (5fl oz/generous 1/2 cup) sunflower oil
- 1 pear, coarsely grated
- 1 tablespoon (1 American tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) grated ginger
- 4 pears, peeled, cored and cut into 6
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
- Sprinkle brown sugar over the bottom of a heavy 25cm (10 inch) sauté pan or frying pan or a heavy cake tin with 6.5cm (2 1/2 inch) deep sides. Add the butter to the pan. Place the sauté pan on a low heat until butter melts.
- Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together. Whisk in the eggs and oil. Mix in the grated pear and ginger.
- Remove the pan or tin from the heat. Whisk the butter and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Arrange the pear slices in the frying pan or tin.
- Pour the batter over the pears and bake until the cake is springy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean (approximately 1 hour).
- Allow to cool slightly (10 minutes approximately); loosen the edges of the cake with a knife and turn out onto a hot plate.
- Serve warm with softly whipped cream or homemade vanilla ice-cream.