Silky snow-white desserts
Serves 8
zest and juice of 1 orange 200ml cold water 250g granulated sugar 60ml white wine vinegar 1 piece of ginger, roughly chopped 1 tsp whole black peppercorns 1 tbsp crushed pink peppercorns 2 tbsp vanilla bean paste 4 small Packham pears, unpeeled, with stalks on, halved lengthways 200g melted unsalted butter, plus 100g softened and extra for greasing 3 eggs 300g plain flour, sifted 1 tbsp baking powder 300g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting 2 small red plums mint sprig 2 x 20cm loose-bottomed cake tins
In a large saucepan, combine the orange zest and juice with the water, granulated sugar and white wine vinegar. Add the ginger, black and pink peppercorns and 1 tbsp of the vanilla bean paste. Simmer for 2 mins until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, then keep on a rolling boil for 5 mins until syrupy.
Add the pear halves to the boiling mixture and simmer for 30 mins until soft and the liquid has reduced to a thick syrup. Allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and grease and line the cake tins. Remove the stalks and cores from the pears and liquidise in a blender until a puree.
Drain the syrup from the pears through a sieve into a mixing bowl and add the eggs, flour, pear puree and baking powder. Beat with an electric whisk until smooth, then whisk in the melted butter until completely combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared tins equally, then bake for 35-40 mins until risen and firm to touch. Allow to cool in the tins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Sieve the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and add the softened butter. Cream together with the back of a wooden spoon until smooth. Mix in the remaining vanilla bean paste.
Place one cake on a serving plate and top with half of the icing, then place the other cake on top. Coat the whole cake with the icing, using a palette knife. Cover the top completely, then ice around the cake sparingly to create a scraped effect. Place the plums in the centre with some mint leaves and dust with icing sugar. Leave to chill for 15 mins to set before serving.