Spoon and Spatula: Pear and Ginger Cake

I love any city that doesn't have wind blowing all the time. So pretty much any city that isn't Wellington. I've lived in Wellington longer enough to call myself a Wellingtonian and whilst I am proud to be one, I will never enjoy or like wind. There's something annoying about being blasted into my car when I go to hop in it and that constant wind swept look I seem to have day after day. Ahhh Wellington, or should I say Newlands? which seems to be the windiest suburb in Wellington. I obviously know how to pick the good locations. Thankfully for me, food makes even the windiest day tolerable. The types of food depends on the day and what I feel like, but all in all, food soothes my angst towards the wind, and angst towards anything for that matter.

This particular windy day, the only thing that it going to make me happy is pear and ginger cake. I love everything about pear and ginger together and this cake makes the cut for a blustery, cold and bitter day.

I'd suggest you try making this on the next windy day you have to soothe your soul. If you're in Wellington, this will be needed often.

Pear and Ginger Cake

First:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of a 22cm springform cake tin with baking paper.

Cream butter, brown sugar and maple syrup until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs a small amount at a time to avoid the mixture curdling.

Dissolve baking soda in the milk

Sift flour, baking powder and ground ginger into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, mixing carefully until combined.

Spoon mixture into prepared tin.

Peel and slice two pears.

Then arrange over the mixture, overlapping a little to ensure that the whole cake will remain covered once cooked.

Bake at 180 degrees for 40 - 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted to the cake.

Wait for the cake to cool and slice. Serve with custard, maple glaze, yoghurt or what ever tickles your fancy.

It truly does make all the wind in the world seem okay....

Pear and Ginger Cake

Ingredients

150g butter, softened
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground ginger
2 ripe pears
Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of a 22cm springform cake tin with baking paper.
Cream butter, brown sugar and maple syrup until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs a small amount at a time to avoid the mixture curdling.

Dissolve baking soda in the milk. Sift flour, baking powder and ground ginger into the creamed mixture, alternately with the milk, mixing carefully until combined. Spoon mixture into prepared tin. Place the sliced pears on top of the cake.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until cooked. A skewer inserted into the middle of the cake will come out clean. Place cake on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the cake tin.

Serve warm with custard, cream or ice cream.