FRESH PEAR, CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND CAKE

almonds 240 grams (almond ground meal)

100 grams brown rice flour

60 grams desiccated coconut

200 grams caster sugar

½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg

200 grams butter, melted and cooled

4 large eggs, size 7

2 tablespoons runny honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

finely grated zest 1 orange

2 large firm-but-ripe pears

100 grams chopped dark chocolate

¹⁄3 cup slivered almonds

TOPPING

icing sugar for dusting softly whipped cream

EQUIPMENT: Grease a 24cm loose-based cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.

Combine the ground almonds, rice flour, coconut, sugar and spices in a large 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. Arrange half of the pears and half the chocolate over the top. Carefully spoon over the remaining batter then top with the remaining pears, remaining chocolate and slivered almonds.

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover the top loosely with foil if it’s nicely browned but not fully cooked. Cool in the tin.

TO SERVE: Dust with icing sugar and serve with softly whipped cream. MAKES 1 CAKE