20110602

Pear and almond butter cake

5 medium pears peeled
80g butter
120g brown sugar
300g unsalted butter, very soft
250g caster sugar
4 eggs
150g wholemeal SR flour
150g ground almonds
2 tsp vanilla extract
100g dark choc bits
50g flaked almonds
cream, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 170C. Line base and sides of a 24cm springform tin with baking paper.
2. Cut each pear in half, core and cut half in to 3 wedges. Set a med heavy based frying pan over high heat. Add butter and sugar and stir until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Add pear and cook 8-10 mins or until pear is soft and caramelised. Set aside.
3. Put unsalted butter and caster sugar in an electric mixer and beat until light and silky. Add eggs and mix to combine. Add flour, almonds and vanilla, and mix to form a smooth batter.
4. Spoon batter into prepared tin. Sprinkle over choc buttons, spoon over pear mix and scatter with flaked almonds. Sit tin on an oven tray and bake for 1 hour or until cake is cooked when tested with a skewer. Sit cake on a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve in wedges with a dollop of cream.

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