Sticky pear cake

One Friday afternoon our Office Mom told me to take any fruits that were left, or they will get spoilt. When somebody gives me pears, I make a cake. I may deceive myself that I will make a chutney or a dessert, but I always end up with a cake.
So I was browsing recipes when I found this one described as “a cross between a sticky toffee pudding and a ginger cake.” I don’t think I ever had a sticky toffee pudding, but just this sentence makes me drool. I’m always looking for something different, and that one hits the spot.
On a Monday morning, I’m delighted to share the cake with my co-workers. I have a feeling they will be intrigued. It’s a gloomy Monday morning after all. I walk into the kitchen, and there are already two picture-perfect cakes on the table. Before 10 o’clock there is one more cake, cookies from India and sweets from US. Tough place to work 😉
Luckily, I was right; this cake is the winner. Maybe it’s because it looks like a chocolate cake when it isn’t, or perhaps it was the alcohol in it. But I had a few people asking for recipes and complementing it.

For 23cm springform

Recipe adapted from BBC Good Food Magazine

• • 250g stoned dates, finely chopped
  • 300ml milk
  • 100g butter, plus extra for the tin
  • 140g ginger preserve or any jam you have (you’ll find this with the jams)
  • 80g light muscovado sugar
  • 60g black treacle / mollases
  • 2 large ripe pears
  • 175g flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 50g walnuts, reserve 10 and chop the rest
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 2 eggs, beaten

For the syrup

• 75ml amaretto

Put the chopped dates in a pan with the milk, butter, jam, light muscovado and black treacle. Heat gently until the butter has melted and the mixture starts to bubble round the edges of the pan. Stir well and set aside for 1 hour to cool.

Line a 23-cm springform pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan.

Peel and chop the pears into large chunks. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and chopped walnuts and stir it into the cooled date mixture. Gradually add the eggs. Stir gently until combined.

Pour the mixture into the pan. Scatter the pears and remaining walnuts on the top.

Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean (the cake may look sticky around around pears, that’s OK). Halfway in you may need to cover it with tin foil, so the top doesn’t burn.

Pour the amaretto over the hot cake. Allow the cake to cool before slicing.

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