Pear & Ginger Cake Recipe

An abundance of pears, ripening simultaneously in the fruit bowl, created the inspiration for this cake.

Eat it warm from the oven to follow Sunday lunch or at room temperature when you crave something sweet.  The generous amount of fruit will kid you into being virtuous. But, we promise not to tell..

Total 1 hour 5 minutes

You will also need:

Baking parchment

22 cm square tin

Method 

Butter and line tin with baking parchment

Preheat conventional oven to 160 C Gas Mark 3

AGA cooks – check your cold shelf is ready for use in a 2-oven AGA with the grid shelf on the floor.  If baking in a 4-oven AGA we recommend that you set the shelf on the first setting from the floor of the oven.  

In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.  Sift the flour and ground ginger together.

Add the whisked eggs and half of the flour, mix carefully together.  Add the remaining flour and mix to combine.

Spoon half the cake mixture into the prepared tin and spread a layer of the prepared pears across the mixture.  Cover with remaining cake mixture and then press the remaining pears into the top.  

Sprinkle a little sugar across the top if you like.  Then bake for 30-40 minutes until a golden colour and firm to the touch. 

AGA cooks – Remember to insert the cold shelf into a 2-oven AGA before you slide your tin onto the grid shelf.

Test the cake with a skewer to make sure it is fully cooked and then leave in the tin to cool, then transfer to a cooling rack to get completely cold.

If the cake is not eaten on the same day, cover and store in the fridge and bring back to room temperature before serving. 

Notes for AGA Cooks:

To bake in a cake baker

• Slide grid shelf on floor of roasting oven
• Place cake baker + lid on the shelf  
• Grease and line the tin and then follow the recipe
• Bake the cake in pre-heated cake baker, remove lid for final 10 minutes baking time