pear and raspberries cake
How is it possible to combine an autumn fruit like the pear with a summer one like the raspberry? Thanks to globalization, that’s what! And I have got to admit I am feeling a bit guilty about it. I am not sure how kosha, or good for the environment, it is to buy raspberries from Argentina in December. I hope readers will forgive me. Candi, do you remember when we were kids and there was none of this luxury of being able to find ANYTHING in the fruit and vegetable world at ANY time of the year? I very much doubt there will be many young people out there who KNOW for sure when certain fruits or vegetables are in season. And another thing: we might be able to find strawberries in the depth of winter but, let’s face it, they are rather tasteless! Anyway, enough rambling! I have made this cake a few times now and it has been a success on every single occasion. I found the recipe (which I slightly adapted) in the Rachel Allen’s book called Bake, which is shortly turning into a Bible for me, as I have made many things out of it already.
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
175 g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
85 g butter
75 ml milk
125 g plain flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
zest of one lemon
2 pears, cored and thinly sliced (or use a tin of pears in own juice)
100 gr. fresh or frozen raspberries
75 ml double cream, to serve
METHOD
Using an electric whisk, whisk the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until the mixture is thick and mousse-like.
Melt the butter in a saucepan with the milk, then pour onto the eggs, whisking all the time. Sift in the flour , grated zest and baking powder and fold carefully into the batter so that there are no lumps of flour. Pour the mixture into a 20 cm.x 20 cm. tin and smooth the surface.
Arrange the pear slices and the raspberries over the batter. Sprinkle over a tablespoon of sugar and bake in the oven for ten minutes at 200 C, then reduce the oven temperature to 180C and bake for a further 30–35 minutes or until well risen and golden brown.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin. Cut into squares and serve warm with cream.
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