Spice cake laced with pears and syrup

Serves 12

300g black treacle 3 medium Williams pears, peeled, cored and halved zest and juice of 1 large orange 1 cinnamon stick 1 whole star anise 1 vanilla pod, split in half 200g caster sugar 500ml water 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing 325g plain flour 100g soft light brown sugar 1 tsp ground mixed spice 2 large eggs 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, mixed with 1 tbsp water 1 tbsp chopped stem ginger, in syrup In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the orange zest and juice, cinnamon stick, star anise, vanilla pod, caster sugar and water. Cook over a medium heat, stirring gently from time to time until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pears to the syrup and poach over a slightly reduced heat until tender to the tip of a knife, approximately 15 mins. Remove the pan from the heat and preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. While the pears cool in the syrup, prepare the batter. Grease and line the base and sides of a 900g loaf tin with greaseproof paper. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, flour, brown sugar, mixed spice, eggs and treacle until pale and smooth. Blend in the bicarbonate of soda mixture until thoroughly incorporated, then stir in the ginger pieces. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, then arrange the pears, pressing them down into the batter but leaving their tops slightly exposed. Reserve the poaching syrup. Bake for approximately 1¼ hrs until the cake is risen and dry to the touch on top: a cake tester should come out clean when inserted into the centre. Transfer from the oven to a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely in its tin before turning out, slicing and serving with the reserved syrup.