WEEKEND TREATS
Juicy pears, rich dark chocolate and zesty orange combine to make this delicious autumnal cake
Baked indulgence to enjoy with a cuppa .
240 grams ground almonds (almond meal)
100 grams brown rice flour
200 grams caster sugar
60 grams desiccated coconut
½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
200 grams butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs 2 tablespoons runny honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
finely grated zest 1 orange
2 large, firm but ripe pears
100 grams chopped dark chocolate
⅓ cup slivered almonds icing sugar for dusting
softly whipped cream
Grease a 24cm loose-based cake tin and line with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.
Combine the ground almonds, flour, sugar, coconut and spices in a bowl. Whisk the butter, eggs, honey, vanilla and zest together and stir into the dry ingredients.
Peel, quarter and core the pears. Cut each piece into 3 wedges. Pour half the batter into the tin. Top with half the pears and half the chocolate. Repeat with the remaining batter, pears and chocolate. Top with slivered almonds.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil if it’s browned but not fully cooked. Cool in the tin.
TO SERVE: Dust with icing sugar. Serve with whipped cream. MAKES 1 CAKE