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pear cake cut up into pieces on a round plate.

Pear cake

THIS PEAR CAKE IS THE PERFECT AUTUMN BAKE. IT'S A DELICIOUS LIGHT AND FLUFFY FRUIT FILLED BAKED THAT'S SO EASY TO MAKE EVEN CHILDREN AND BEGINNER BAKERS CAN MASTER IT.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 20
Course: Afternoon tea, Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 391
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 pears
  • 300 g (2 ½ cups) self raising flour*
  • 225 g (1 ⅛ cup) caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 225 g (1 cup) butter or baking margarine
  • 1 tablespoon milk

Equipment

  • Digital scales
  • Freestanding mixer
  • Mixing bowl
  • Hand held mixer
  • Measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • Spatula
  • Offset spatula
  • 23 x 30cm baking tin
  • Wire rack

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 180C / 170C / 350F and grease and line 23x33cm (9 x 13 inch) baking tin with baking or parchment paper.
Prepare the pears
  1. Peel, core and quarter the pears, and then cut them into small chunks.
    Set the pear aside for now.
Make the pear cake batter
  1. To make this cake you need to measure all the cake batter ingredients out and add them to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a free-standing mixer.
    You can do this in any order, but if you follow the order the ingredients are listed, they'll be less likely to miss anything out.
  2. Start adding the dry ingredients – the flour, sugar, and baking powder. When you add the baking powder make sure you use your finger to level the teaspoon so that you add just the right amount.
  3. Next add the wet ingredients, starting with the baking spread or butter if you're using it. Butter needs to be safe enough to mix in, so if yours is still hard from the fridge cut it into a few pieces and pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so to soften it, but not long enough for it to melt.
    Crack the eggs into a small bowl then add them to your mixing bowl.
    Finally add the tablespoon of milk.
Mix everything together
  1. Once you've added all your ingredients, mix everything together either with a hand held mixer or the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer. Mix it all until it's nice and smooth with no visible lumps of flour showing.
    Scrape down the sides of your bowl with a spatula to make sure there's nothing hiding at the bottom of your bowl.
Add the pear
  1. Add ¾ of the pieces of pear to your cake batter and stir them through so they are well dispersed.
Make the pear cake
  1. Add half the batter to your prepared traybake tin. Spread it to the edges and level the top with a small offset palette knife or spatula.
    Spread the remaining pieces of pear over the top of the batter, then add the rest of the batter over the pears.
    If you have another pear, cut it into thin slices and arrange them over the top of the cake batter, pressing them down gently into the batter.
Bake the pear cake
  1. Bake the pear cake for 50-60 minutes. It's ready when it's turned golden brown, and is starting to come away from the edges of your tin.
    You can test when your cake is ready by inserting a cocktail stick, skewer or sharp knife in the centre, and it should come out clean if it's fully baked. If bits of wet batter stick to the skewer pop it back in the oven for a few more minutes.
  2. Once it's fully baked take the cake out of the oven and leave it in the tin for 10 minutes to start cooling.
    Remove the traybake from the tin, peel of the baking paper and leave it on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, slice it into pieces with a sharp knife.
    Sprinkle over some icing sugar just before you serve it. Enjoy!