Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 3 firm pears
  • 300 ml (½pt) water
  • 100 g (3½oz) golden caster sugar
  • 3 slices stem ginger
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 250 g (9oz) butter (softened)
  • 225 g (8oz) golden caster sugar
  • 100 g (3½oz) black treacle
  • 4 large eggs (chopped)
  • 100 g (3½oz) stem ginger
  • 300 g (10½oz) self-raising flour
  • 2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 50 g (2oz) icing sugar
  • 1 tablespoon rum

Instruction

  • First prepare 3 pears, peel the and cut in half then scoop out the core with a teaspoon.
  • Place the water in a saucepan with the 100g (3½oz) sugar, 3 slices ginger, 4 cloves and 1 cinnamon stick, and heat gently stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  • Place the pears in the syrup. Cover and poach gently for until just tender.
  • Remove from the pan with a draining spoon and allow to cool completely.
  • Preheat the oven to 170℃ (150℃ fan)/350°F/gas mark 3. Lightly grease and line the base of a 23cm (9in) springform or deep loose bottom cake tin.
  • Beat 250g (9oz) butter, 225g (8oz) sugar and 100g (3½oz) treacle together until fluffy. Then beat in 4 eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
  • Add 100g (3½oz) chopped stem ginger and gently fold in, then sift in 300g (10½oz) flour and 2 teaspoons each of ginger and cinnamon into the bowl and fold in.
  • Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and level. Arrange the pear halves on top.
  • Bake for about 1 – 1¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cover the top loosely with foil if it begins to get too dark on top.
  • Allow too cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  • To make the rum drizzle, sift 50g (2oz) icing sugar into a small mixing bowl, then stir in 1 tablespoon rum to form a thin icing. 
  • Drizzle from the spoon in a random pattern on top of the cake. Allow to set. Serve cut into slices.