Pear and Olive Oil Cake
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- More effort
- Serves 8
Ingredients
- Roast pears
4 South African Forelle pears, halved or quartered lengthways, core removed, stem left intact
- 80ml dessert wine
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- Cake
- 115g caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 185ml olive oil
- 125ml dessert wine
- 80ml milk
- 2 lemons, finely grated zest only
- 185g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Syrup
- 115g caster sugar
- 125ml dessert wine
- To serve
- Reduced fat creme fraiche
Method
- STEP 1Preheat the oven to 180ðC. Place the pears in a roasting tin, drizzle with the wine and oil and sprinkle with the sugar. Roast for 45 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender and starting to caramelise. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- STEP 2Meanwhile, to make the cake, lightly grease an 11 x 22cm loaf tin, and line the base and sides with baking paper. Beat the sugar and eggs together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and creamy.
- STEP 3Add the oil, wine, milk and lemon zest and beat until well combined. Add the combined, sifted flour and baking powder and slowly beat until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake alongside the pears for 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- STEP 4Meanwhile, to make the wine syrup, place the sugar and 2 tbsp water in a small pan and stir constantly, over a very low heat, without letting it boil, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- STEP 5Increase the heat and allow the syrup to simmer, brushing the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush if necessary, until the syrup turns a golden colour. It is important to keep an eye on the syrup at all times, as once it starts to colour, it will continue to darken very quickly.
- STEP 6Turn off the heat, add the wine and stir to combine. Some of the syrup may solidify at this point. If this is the case, return it to a very low heat until it dissolves again. Set aside to cool.
- STEP 7Serve the cake with the pears, drizzle with the syrup and add a dollop of craime fraiche.
