Pear and chai spiced cake

The last week of excessive eating and drinking for my boss's departure from the Department is finally upon us. So, it was cause for more baking. The final cake I'll make for some time now, especially as we hit the road (Jack) on Thursday and will be sampling plenty of US delicacies along the west coast. My inspiration for this cake was the fact that we are drowning in very ripe pears which needed to be eaten, so like the berry, cardoman and rose cake before it, inspiration struck (and it involved ingredients I had in the house).


What you will need
250g plain flour
1 tea spoon ground ginger
1 tea spoon ground cinnamon
1/4 tea spoon ground cloves
1/4 tea spoon ground black pepper
125ml golden syrup
1/2 tea spoon vanilla essence
150g sugar
175ml vegetable oil
150ml water
1.5 tea spoons bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
4 pears


Glaze
2 table spoons apricot jam (or marmelade is fine)
50ml golden syrup
1 table spoon water


Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, sugar and bicarbonate of soda).


Next, add the oil, water, vanilla essence and eggs and whisk together to make a light and airy batter, before adding the golden syrup and mix together.


Finally, peel and core the pears and slice into half vertically.


Pour the cake mix into a 20cm cake tin and top with the pears. Place in a pre-heated oven at 180 degree for 1 hour or until crisp on the outside and cooked through.


Take the cake out of the oven to cool, whilst making the glaze.


Place the apricot jam, golden syrup and sugar in a pan to warm through and reduce for about 5 minutes until coating the back of the spoon.

Carefully top the cake, using a brush or spatula.

 

Serve the cake on its own or with some cream.