This aromatic cake gives tea time a little lift with its sticky fruit topping and lighter sponge. Deceptively easy to make and a real centrepiece.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time:30-35 minutes
Serves: 8-10Ingredients:
5 juniper berries, bruised with the back of a knife
1tsp ground cinnamon
5 cloves
4 tbsp apricot jam
3-4 pears depending on their size, peeled cored & sliced (we used Blush pears)
150g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
3 medium eggs
100g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
Crème fraîche, to serve
Instructions:
1. Heat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/ gas 4. Grease the bottom of a 9inch spring form tin and line with greaseproof paper. Heat the juniper, cinnamon and cloves with the apricot jam in a pan then add the pear slices and cook gently for five mins until they are soft.
2. Set aside to cool. Whisk together the butter and sugar till light and fluffy, then whisk in the eggs one at a time. Use a large metal spoon to fold in the almonds, flour and baking powder.
3. Pick the spices out of the pear juices and discard. Arrange the pear slices in the bottom of the tin along with just two tablespoons of the juices.
4. Pour over the cake batter and bake in the oven for 30-35 mins until cooked through and the cake springs back when you touch the top.
5. Take out of the oven and cool for 15mins then turn out onto a serving plate and peel off the greaseproof paper.
6. Reheat the remaining pear juices and drizzle over. Serve warm or cold with a dollop of Crème fraîche.
Recipe courtesy of Streamline Jam.