Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
- 4 just ripe pears, peeled and cut into halves and cored
- 500ml red wine
- 200g caster sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cardamom pods
- 120g butter, softened plus extra for greasing
- 120g vegetable oil
- 375g caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 225g yoghurt
- 560g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp mixed spice
- 1 lemon, zested
- ¾ tsp salt
- Icing sugar for dusting
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Method
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1In a large saucepan, add the pear halves, wine, sugar, spices and enough water to submerge the pears.
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2Get a piece of greaseproof to make a ‘cartouche’ lid of sorts to put on top of the pears to allow them to stay under the liquid.
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3Bring up to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 20-30 mins or until the pears are a vibrant pink/red colour and are soft but not mushy.
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4Leave them to cool in the wine while you get on with the pudding batter.
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5Sieve the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and salt into a bowl.
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6Whisk or beat the soft butter with the oil and sugar in a separate large bowl until pale and fluffy.
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7Add the eggs and yolk slowly whilst mixing until combined.
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8Add half the yoghurt and vanilla, and the lemon zest, then fold in half the flour mixture.
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9Repeat with the other half of the yoghurt and the rest of the flour until you have a smooth cake batter. Don’t overmix!
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10Preheat oven to 160°C/ Fan 150°C/ Gas Mark 3.
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11Butter a large shallow casserole dish and pour the cake batter into the dish.
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12Get the pears (now cool) out of the wine and slice up, but not all the way through so that the top of the pear with the stem acts as a hinge. Fan the sliced bit out carefully and arrange the pear halves on top of the cake in a nice pattern.
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13Bake in the oven for 45 minutes – 1 hour or until the sponge is springy to touch, or a knife is inserted and comes out with only a few crumbs attached.
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14Dust with icing sugar and serve with custard or cream whilst still warm.
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