STICKY GINGER AND PEAR CAKE

Preparation time 20 mins Cooking time 50 mins Serves 12

Melted butter, to grease, plus

extra 200g butter, melted 220g golden syrup

170g sour cream

100g brown sugar

2 free-range eggs

2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger Finely grated zest of ½ lemon 130g self-raising flour

90g plain flour

40g semolina

2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp sea-salt flakes Cream, to serve

TOPPING

80g butter, chopped

110g brown sugar

½ tsp sea-salt flakes

2 pears, peeled, thinly sliced 125g glacé ginger, thinly sliced

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 180°C fanforced (200°C conventional). Lightly grease a 24cm springform tin with butter. Line base with baking paper. STEP 2 To make topping, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in sugar and salt. Pour mixture into prepared tin and spread evenly over base. Arrange pear and ginger on top. Set aside.

STEP 3 For cake, whisk syrup, sour cream, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Add extra melted butter, whisking to combine. Stir in ginger and lemon zest.

STEP 4 In a separate bowl, sift combined flours, semolina, ground ginger, baking powder and salt. Carefully fold in syrup mixture.

STEP 5 Pour batter into tin, over topping, taking care not to disturb your arrangement. Gently tap tin to remove any air bubbles.

STEP 6 Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in tin on a wire rack.

STEP 7 Invert cake onto a serving platter, pear side up. Serve with cream.