GLUTEN-FREE PEAR, GINGER AND HONEY CAKE
A ripe pear is notoriously difficult to purchase so we always seem to have a number, in various degrees of ripeness, sitting in our fruit bowl …. just in case.
This week a few rapidly ripening offenders were put to very good use in our Pear, Ginger and Honey Cake which we topped with Pears Poached in Mead.
Mead is made from fermented honey and as a bottle was on hand it seemed the perfect choice for an accompaniment to a honey cake. You should be able to find it at your local bottle-o but it does come in a wide range of prices. Mine was at the lowest end of the scale.
The cake is equally as delicious served plain with a cuppa as it is for dessert, topped with the poached pears along with whipped cream, crème fraiche or yoghurt.
Rosie
PEAR, GINGER AND HONEY CAKE
Serves 8
1 Packham pear
60 ml water
250 gm almond meal
155 gm unblanched almonds
50 gm crystalised ginger, finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
3 whole eggs
165 gm raw caster sugar
110 gm honey (+ extra for brushing, optional)
Topping
25 gm unblanched almonds, roughly chopped
25 gm crystalised ginger, roughly chopped
20 gm raw caster sugar
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
25 gm unsalted butter, melted
Peel, core and thinly slice the pear. Place it in a small saucepan with the 60ml water. Cover and cook until the pear slices are falling apart. Remove the lid and cook until all the liquid had evaporated.
Cool then puree the pear pulp.
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 22cm cake tin.
Place the almond meal and almonds in a food processor and process until finely ground but still has a little bit of texture. Add the chopped ginger, ground ginger and baking powder and process for 20-30 seconds until combined.
Whisk eggs, caster sugar and honey on medium speed in an electric mixer until thick and pale.
Fold in the pear puree followed by the almond mixture.
Transfer to the prepared tin.
Combine all the topping ingredients and gently sprinkle over the surface of the cake in the tin.
Transfer the cake to the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Stand the cake on a rack for 20 minutes before turning out.
To serve, brush with some of the syrup from the Pears Poached in Mead (see below), if using. Otherwise brush with some extra honey to serve.
Top with the poached pears if using and serve with yoghurt, crème fraiche or whipped cream.
PEARS POACHED IN MEAD
500 ml mead (or sweet white wine)
150 gm honey (or to taste)
2 Packham pears
Place the mead and honey in a wide pan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Peel, halve and core the pears. Slice each half into 6 pieces and place in the pan. Allow to gently simmer until the pears are cooked through (up to 30 minutes depending on the ripeness of your pears) but not falling apart.
If the liquid has not reduced to a syrupy consistency, gently remove the pears to a bowl, reduce the liquid, pour over the pears and allow to cool in the syrup.