Ingredients
Serves 8-10To caramelise the pears:
6 pears peeled and cored (or allow half a pear per mould if you are making individual pear cakes)
400 g sugar
120 g butter
2 tbsp brandy or rum
To make the cake / pudding mixture
3 eggs
120 gm castor sugar
140 gm unsalted butter, melted
160 gm plain flour, sifted with the baking powder
1 tbsp baking powder
Method
To caramelise the pears:
Place butter and sugar in pan, place pears on top.
Over a medium heat gently stir until caramel forms and the pears are cooked but still firm.
Stand aside and allow cooling.
Cut pears into halves or quarters, depending on the size of the mould or tin.
Arrange some of them in the bottom of a pudding mould or cake tin that has been rubbed with butter.
Dice the leftover pears and steep in the rum/brandy.
To make the cake/pudding mixture
Whisk the eggs and sugar till light and fluffy (approx five minutes).
Stir in melted butter.
Fold in the flour and baking powder.
Stir in the diced pieces of caramelised pear with the rum and a little caramel.
Pour into the pudding moulds or cake tin.
Bake at 180°C for 20 to 35 minutes, or until cooked.
Serve with the leftover caramel as a sauce and some ice-cream.