The key to this cake's success is the butter. It must be soft and at room temperature before you begin.
Ingredients
- 225 g plain flour, sieved
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 110 g soft butter (room temperature)
- 110 g brown sugar
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of ginger
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
- 5 pears
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
Equipment: 9-inch baking tin
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170°C. Peel and slice the pears.
- Place the flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, eggs, milk, and spices into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a K beater. Mix for one minute until smooth. Gently fold in the pear slices, reserving a few for the top.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and arrange the reserved pear slices neatly over the surface. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- While still hot, sprinkle with caster sugar. Allow to cool before serving.
Chef Top Tip:
The key to this cake's success is using butter at room tempretaure. You should be able to run your finger through it easily. When the butter is softened like this the mixture comes together easily.
