This has become one of my new favorites for a treat with coffee. Using Asian pears it has a very fruity flavor which pairs well with the almonds. Because I use coconut palm sugar instead of regular cane sugar, the gi score is much lower too.
Ingredients
- 125 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 125 g coconut palm brown sugar (or you can use white sugar)
- 2 large eggs
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g ground almonds
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 large asian pear or 3 medium ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into wedges. (if they are organic, I put the peels into a keifer smoothie)
- 50 g flaked/sliced almonds
- Icing sugar, for garnish
Instructions
- Grease an 8-inch spring form pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and add in the sugar in a medium bowl and then beat with an electric mixer.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating completely after each addition.
- In a separate bowl mix the flour, ground almonds and baking powder, and fold them into the batter.
- Spoon batter into the prepared spring form pan and use a spatula to even out the mixture. (This is a thick batter and there will only be a couple of centimeters thick).
- Pre-heat oven to 190° C (375° F).
- Prepare pears, by peeling, coring and cutting in wedges.
- Arrange the pear wedges around the cake in a pinwheel slightly overlapping the wedges if possible, and sprinkle the flaked/sliced almonds over the top.
- Bake in a pre-heated 190° C (375° F) oven for 35 minutes. Give the cake a half turn half way through the baking. Check for doneness at around 30 minutes. The amount of liquid in the pears will change the baking time.
- Leave the cake to cool in the tin, then after about ten minuets, run a knife around the outside and carefully remove the ring and base. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
This can be prepared the night before for a late morning brunch.
