Using a food processor, this delicious cake is ready to go in the oven in the time it takes for the oven to heat up. I cooked it in a ceramic quiche dish, but you could use any cake pan, either springform or paper-lined. You want the pears to be ripe but not overripe.
Served with a cuppa, or as a dessert, with a dollop of creme fraiche or whipped cream, this recipe is a winner. Pears and ginger go very well together.
5 or 6 large ripe pears, peeled and cored
2½ cups self raising flour (300g)
180g butter, cut into cubes
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 or 3 tsp ground ginger (to taste)
½ tsp salt
½ cup chopped preserved (glacé) ginger
To serve:
Creme fraiche or whipped cream
Preheat oven to 170°C and prepare the cake pan or dish.
Place flour, butter, sugar, ground ginger and salt in food processor. Process until mixture starts to stick together into clumps. Add the egg and chopped ginger and process just enough to form a soft dough. Scrape out onto the counter and divide into two balls – one of one third and the other of two thirds.
Using your fingers, break pieces off the two thirds ball and press them over the base and about 3cm up the sides of the cake pan. Cut the peeled pears into halves or quarters and arrange them over the pastry base. I cut four into halves and one into quarters, which I used to fill in the hole in the middle, but you might prefer to cut them all into quarters. I used 5 large pears altogether.
Crumble remaining dough over the pears so it looks like an apple crumble. Bake for 50-60 mins or until golden brown and cooked in the middle.
Serve warm or at room temperature with crème fraiche or whipped cream.
Serves 12
