A sticky but fresh-tasting cake, that’s just as good with a glass of ginger beer or lemonade as with a cup of tea. And this is one that would make an ideal Bonfire Night bake.
MANDARIN, PEAR AND GINGER CAKE
Makes 18 slices
9 small pears, peeled and cored
juice of 1⁄2 lemon
350g plain flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp ground allspice
1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tbsp milk
100g mandarin marmalade
100g black treacle
175g golden syrup
175g light muscovado sugar
175g butter
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
50g medium oatmeal
2 large eggs
1 Preheat the oven to 170C/Fan 150C/325F. Line a 20cm by 5cm square deep cake tin with non-stick baking parchment. Keep the pears in a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon juice until needed.
2 Put the flour and spices into a large bowl. In a cup, mix the bicarbonate of soda with the
milk and set aside. Mix 2 tbsp of marmalade with 1 tbsp of black treacle, then set aside.
3 Place the remaining marmalade in a pan with the remaining treacle and the syrup, sugar, butter and ginger. Pour in 150ml water and heat gently until melted.
4 Beat the marmalade mixture into the spiced flour along with the oatmeal, followed by the eggs and milk. Pour a thin layer of the cake mixture over the base of the tin and bake in a preheated oven for 10 mins.
5 Drain the pears. Take the tin out of the oven and push the pears into the base. Pour the remaining cake mixture around them and return to the oven for 1 hour 25 minutes.
6 Warm the reserved marmalade and treacle mixture in a small saucepan and brush over the hot cake to glaze. Serve warm or cold.
Recipe from The Seasonal Cookbook by Bonne Maman (Simon & Schuster). Photography by Miles New
Read more:
