Serves 4-6
½ cup (130g) wholemeal flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
115g dark muscovado sugar
1 egg
½ cup milk
¼ cup sunflower oil
4 medium pears, peeled, cut in half lengthways
8 walnut halves
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Brush the base and sides of a 20cm-diameter, round springform cake tin with oil. Line the base with baking paper that has been cut in a circle to fit the base of the tin.
For the base, mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon, then stir in the muscovado sugar. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg, milk and oil; then mix into the dry ingredients until smooth. Pour the mixture evenly into the tin.
Remove the seeds and core from the pears. Arrange the pears ‘cut’ side down in the tin with a walnut half in the cavity where the seeds would be. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until firm to the touch. Turn out onto a serving plate. Serve hot with yogurt, custard or cream.
