MAXINE GORDON bakes something a bit different but utterly delicious.

THE ingredients look like they’ve come straight out of Ready, Steady, Cook – pears, soured cream, almonds and oranges – and, amazingly, I had each of them in my cupboard and fridge when I was looking for a cake to rustle up at short notice without me having to pop to the shops.

So it’s safe to say this recipe for pear cake chose me rather than the other way around when I was flicking through my trusty baking bible: Dorling Kindersley’s Step by Step Baking by Caroline Bretherton.

As you will see from the recipe below, I used slightly different ingredients (basically what I had in) and the end result was still good.

This is very easy to throw together and the end result is more of a tart than a cake, with the ground almonds lending a bit of Bakewell texture.

I served it warm with thick dollops of custard. My guests were full of praise and it vanished as soon as it appeared. One to definitely make again.


Pear cake

Use a 18cm (7in) round springform cake tin
Heat oven to 180C/350F/GM4

Ingredients:

100g (3½ oz) unsalted butter, softened (I used Stork and it was fine!) plus extra for greasing your tin
75g (2½ oz) soft light brown sugar (I used castor sugar)
1 egg, lightly beaten
125g (4½ oz) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
Finely grated zest and juice of half an orange
4 tbsp of Greek yoghurt or soured cream
25g (1oz) ground almonds
One large or two small pears, peeled, cored and sliced

For the topping

2 tbsp demerara sugar (again I used castor sugar)
2 tbsp flaked almonds, lightly toasted (I omitted these, only on account of not having them in; the cake works with or without)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven as directed above, grease and line your cake tin.

2. Whisk together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the egg into the creamed mixture.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and cinnamon and gently fold into the batter.

4. Fold in the orange zest and juice, yoghurt (or soured cream if using instead) and the ground almonds.

5. Pour half the batter into the tin; top with pear slices, then cover with rest of batter.

6. Sprinkle the sugar and almonds (if using) over the top.

7. Bake in centre of oven for 45-50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

8. Leave cake to cool in tin for ten minutes then turn out on to wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temp.

• Maxine’s note: If you make this cake before you want to eat it, just warm it through in a moderate oven for about ten minutes before serving.

Twitter: @MaxineYGordon