Combine juicy pears, rich dark chocolate and zesty orange to make this delicious and moist autumnal cake.
INGREDIENTS
240 grams ground almonds
100 grams brown rice flour
60 grams desiccated coconut
200 grams caster sugar
½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
200 grams butter, melted
4 large eggs, size 7
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
finely grated zest 1 orange
2 large, firm but ripe pears
100 grams chopped dark chocolate with roasted almonds
METHOD
Grease a 24cm loose-based cake tin and line with baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.
Combine the ground almonds, rice flour, coconut, sugar and the spices together in a large bowl.
Whisk the cooled butter, eggs, honey, vanilla and orange zest together and stir into the dry ingredients.
Peel, quarter and core the pears. Cut each piece into 3 wedges.
Pour half of the batter into the tin. Arrange half of the pears and the chocolate over the top.
Carefully spoon over the remaining batter then top with the remaining pears and chocolate.
Bake for about 50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover the top loosely with foil if it’s nicely browned but not fully cooked. Cool in the tin.
To serve: Dust with icing sugar and serve with softly whipped cream or yoghurt. Makes 1 cake

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