Warm Spiced Pear Cake

I have a serious crush on this cake. It’s so moist & stuffed full of fruit that it’s almost a pudding. Plant-based & gently spiced, there are no eggs or dairy here, just pears encased in a simple naturally sweet batter.

The batter is simple – ground almonds and rice flour ensure that it’s light, while a little tapioca binds it without being too heavy. Mashed banana gives a natural sweetness, while adding to the fruity softness.

It’s perfect served on its own – warm or room temperature – or alongside whipped (coconut) cream or yoghurt. I’ve also enjoyed this cake using apples instead of pears.

½ cup rice milk (or milk of choice)

1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)

ripe pears – 4 small to medium or 2 two large

100g/1 packed cup almond flour

60g/ ½ cup tapioca starch or arrowroot

60g/ ½ cup brown rice flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

100g/ ¾ cup coconut sugar + 1 extra Tbsp

2 mashed bananas

100mls olive oil

2 tsp vanilla essence

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

Preheat the oven to 175C and grab your cake tin. Grease it lightly with oil or line it with baking paper. (I find I don’t need either with my silicon cake ‘tin’)

Start by adding the vinegar to the rice milk, then put it aside.

Sprinkle the extra 1Tbsp measure of coconut sugar over the base of the cake tin.

Slice a pear – removing the seeds, stem & core – and place the slices on top of the coconut sugar in the cake tin. This will form the top of the cake once cooked & flipped over, so arrange the slices as artfully as you wish! If you’re using huge pears, roughly half of one should do the trick. Dice all the remaining pear.

Add all the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix well. Then add all remaining ingredients, including the vinegar/milk and the diced pear. Mix until a thick, moist batter is formed. Pour it over the pears in the cake tin, and pop into the oven to bake. Depending on how large or juicy your pears were – and how fierce your oven is – this can take between 40-60 minutes. I’d check it at the 40 minute mark – insert a clean knife or skewer and see if it comes out clean. (I did pull one out of the oven too early once, and we enjoyed it as a very soft, moist pudding instead!)

Once cooked, let it cool for a few minutes. Then pop a plate or serving platter on top and flip the cake over, revealing the delicious cooked pear slices on top.