A topsy-turvy cake that makes the most of the season’s pears, turning them into a slice of afternoon joy.
Serves 8-10
3 tbsp unsalted butter
50g dark brown sugar
4 tbsp orange juice
4 ripe medium pears, halved lengthways and cored
For the sponge:
120g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
200g golden caster sugar
150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs
60ml buttermilk
30g walnuts, roughly chopped
1 In a pan, heat the 3 tablespoons of butter and brown sugar until melted, then stir in the orange juice. Add the pears, cut-side up, and cook gently for 3-4 mins more.
2 Grease a 25cm cake tin and dust with flour. Remove the pears from the syrup and arrange, cut-side down, in the tin. Gently bubble the syrup for a further 5 mins, or until reduced, then pour over the pears. Cool in the fridge.
3 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder, bicarb, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Combine fully before adding the eggs, one at a time, mixing well before each new addition. Stir in the buttermilk and walnuts.
4 Pour the cake batter over the pears, then transfer the tin to a baking tray, in case the syrup leaks. Bake for 30–40 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5 Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin, before inverting it onto a cake stand or serving platter. This is delicious served warm with plenty of vanilla custard.
Recipe & photography by Catherine Frawley.
This cake featured on our November issue’s front cover. Buy this month's The Simple Things -buy, download or subscribe
