When Beurre Bosc pears are in season the best thing to do is to poach them. And then if you have poached too many, bake them into a cake! This cake is moist and delicious. Eat it warm with some of the reduced pear syrup.
INGREDIENTS
Poached pears
2 beurre bosc pears, peeled
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 star anise
Cake
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup almond flour
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves, ground
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 scant teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ cups soy milk
3/4 cup medjool dates, pitted
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Pear syrup
Liquid from poached pears
METHOD
Poached pears
Place the pears in a small saucepan, add the maple syrup and add enough water to just cover the pears. Place the whole spices in the poaching liquid and simmer until the pears are tender. Depending on the size of the pears this can be around 30 minutes. Remove the pears from the liquid and set aside to cool.
Simmer the remaining liquid that the pears were poached in until it has reduced to about half a cup.
When the pears have cooled, cut into quarters lengthwise and remove the core.
Cake
Preheat an oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a square cake tin with baking paper.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, flaxseed meal, spices, baking powder, soda and salt. Blend the soy milk, dates and apple cider vinegar and mix with the dry ingredients to combine.
Pour the batter into the baking tin and arrange the pears on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. The pears will sink into the cake while it cooks.
Pour the syrup over the cake and serve warm.