Poached pear maple cake
The yellow-hued pear is a surprise both on the palate and the eye, while the maple-flavoured loaf complements it perfectly.
SERVES 12 PREP 30 MINS
COOK 45-50 MINS, PLUS COOLING
For the poached pears
✱ 55g caster sugar
✱ ½tsp ground turmeric ✱ 2tbsp finely grated ginger ✱ 4 drops vegan yellow food colouring (optional)
✱ Peel of 1 orange
✱ 3 firm pears, peeled and cored, with stems
For the maple cake
✱ 125g vegan butter
✱ 140g raw sugar
✱ 170ml plain soy milk
✱ 1tbsp white vinegar
✱ 3tbsps maple syrup, plus extra to serve
✱ 1tbsp dark molasses
✱ 1tsp vanilla bean paste
✱ 250g plain flour
✱ 2tsps baking powder
✱ ½tsp bicarbonate of soda
✱ ½tsp sea salt
1 Start by poaching the pears: place the sugar, turmeric, ginger, food colouring (if using), orange peel and 750ml of water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine. Add the pears and bring to a gentle simmer, then cook, occasionally turning the pears to keep them submerged, for 15–25 mins, until a skewer slips through the pears with ease. Remove the saucepan from the heat and drain the pears. Set aside to cool. 2 Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Lightly grease and line a 23 x 10 x
10cm loaf tin with baking paper with overhanging sides, then grease again. 3 To make the cake: melt the butter in a heatproof bowl in a microwave. Add the sugar while it’s still warm and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
4 Stir the soy milk and vinegar in a jug until thickened. Add the maple syrup, molasses, vanilla and 3tbsps of water and whisk to combine, then whisk in the melted butter and sugar.
5 Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the centre.
6 Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry. The batter will be quite runny. 7 Pour batter into the prepared tin, then push the poached pears into the batter evenly spaced apart.
8 Bake on the middle rack of your oven for 45–50 mins (checking occasionally from the 35-min mark), until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
9 Allow cake to cool in tin for 10 mins, then lift out using excess baking paper. Brush the top with additional maple syrup.
Per serving: 255 cals, 9g fat (5g saturated), 41g carbohydrates