Food_Heaven_-_November_2019

CAKE HEAVEN

WWW.FOODHEAVENMAG.COM NOVEMBER baking heaven 27

Pear & pollen cake

SERVES 8

4 pears (approx. 550g/1lb 3oz)
juice of ¼ a lemon
120g (4½oz) unsalted butter, at
room temperature, plus extra for
greasing
100g (3½oz) caster sugar
3 free-range eggs
140g (5oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp natural vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp bee pollen
whipped cream, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark

3. Grease a 21cm (8¼in) round
   non-stick cake tin with a little butter.
   2 Peel and core the pears. Slice half a
   pear and set aside, squeezing over
   the lemon juice to stop it from
   browning, then cut the remaining pears
   into 1.5cm (½in) cubes. Set aside.
   3 In a separate bowl, cream the butter
   and sugar with an electric mixer
   for 3 minutes, or until pale. Add the
   eggs and continue to whisk until

pale and fluffy, then fold through the

flour, baking powder, vanilla and

cinnamon to form a bat ter.

4 Mix half the pear cubes into the

batter, then pour into the tin. Mix the

pollen through the remaining pear

cubes and sprinkle them over the

batter. Tap the base of the tin on the

work surface to settle the batter.

5 Arrange the pear slices on top in a

circle, then bake for 45-50 minutes

until the top of the cake is golden brown

and a skewer inserted into the centre

comes out clean. Serve warm or cold

with whipped cream.

The recipes on pages

26-27 are taken from

Baltic by Simon

Bajada, published by

Hardie Grant (£25).

Photography ©

Simon Bajada.

Apple-rum-

raisin cake

MAKES 1 CAKE
400g (14oz) apples, peeled and
cored
juice of ½ a lemon
125g (4½oz) raisins
75ml (2¾fl oz) dark rum
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
a pinch of sea salt
For the batter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
125g (4½oz) butter, at room
temperature
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
125g (4½oz) packed dark brown
sugar
2 large free-range eggs
3 tbsp raw cane sugar

1 Cube the apples, toss with the lemon

juice, raisins, rum, ginger, cinnamon,

cloves and salt and let stand for 1 hour

or overnight.

2 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark

4. Thoroughly grease a 20 cm (8in)
   springform tin.
   3 Make the batter: In a food processor
   or by hand, combine the cinnamon with
   the flour. Pulse or cut in the butter until
   the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
   Mix in the brown sugar and the eggs.
   4 Pulse to a smooth and creamy batter.
   Stir in two-thirds of the apple mixture.
   Spoon the batter into the springform
   tin and sprinkle with the rest of the
   apple mixture. Sprinkle over the raw
   cane sugar.
   5 Bake the cake for about 50 minutes,
   until done. When in doubt, pierce
   with a skewer; if it comes out dry,
   the cake is ready.

6 Let cool on a rack before removing

the springform tin and serving.

Top^ off^ t

he^ cake^

with^ bee

pollen