WALNUT, CHOCOLATE & PEAR CAKE

Serves 12

You will need:

● 125g walnuts

● 100g ground almonds

● 60g ground flaxseed

● 60g wholemeal or whole rye flour

● 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, plus more for greasing

● 120g light muscovado or coconut sugar

● 2 teaspoons ground ginger

● 2 teaspoons baking powder

● 100ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing

● 100ml aquafaba

● 90g dark chocolate, chopped roughly

● 2 pears, sliced thinly (stoned fruits like cherries, peaches or plums are also excellent)

1 Start by preheating your oven to 180C (160 fan). Grease a 25cm bundt tin (or similar) with a lick of olive oil and a dusting of cocoa powder. I rub the oil around the tin using my fingertips, then shake the cocoa about evenly. Set aside.

2 Roast the walnuts on a lipped tray in your preheated oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3 In a food processor, pulse the cooled walnuts into breadcrumbs, like a clumpy flour. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the dark chocolate and pears) and pulse into a wet mixture.

4 Spoon into your prepared tin and stir through your chocolate chunks. Arrange the slices of fruit on top and bake for 30 minutes.

5 Once cooked, remove from your oven and allow to cool in the tin. Eject the cake from its tin and serve with a dusting of icing sugar, as seen in the photograph. ●