Flavoured with stem and ground ginger and topped with lightly spiced poached pears, this pear and ginger cake is completed with a rum flavoured icing drizzled over the top.
First prepare 3 pears, peel the and cut in half then scoop out the core with a teaspoon.
Place the water in a saucepan with the 100g (3½oz) sugar, 3 slices ginger, 4 cloves and 1 cinnamon stick, and heat gently stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Place the pears in the syrup. Cover and poach gently for until just tender.
Remove from the pan with a draining spoon and allow to cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 170℃ (150℃ fan)/350°F/gas mark 3. Lightly grease and line the base of a 23cm (9in) springform or deep loose bottom cake tin.
Beat 250g (9oz) butter, 225g (8oz) sugar and 100g (3½oz) treacle together until fluffy. Then beat in 4 eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
Add 100g (3½oz) chopped stem ginger and gently fold in, then sift in 300g (10½oz) flour and 2 teaspoons each of ginger and cinnamon into the bowl and fold in.
Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and level. Arrange the pear halves on top.
Bake for about 1 – 1¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cover the top loosely with foil if it begins to get too dark on top.
Allow too cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the rum drizzle, sift 50g (2oz) icing sugar into a small mixing bowl, then stir in 1 tablespoon rum to form a thin icing.
Drizzle from the spoon in a random pattern on top of the cake. Allow to set. Serve cut into slices.
Notes
Nutrition information is calculated using an online nutrition database - is approximate and is meant as a guideline only.