Pear, ginger and molasses cake
A by-product in the manufacturing of sugar, molasses is deeply flavoured, adding a complex note to baked goods. Here, molasses and coffee bring out the spice, while the caramelised pears provide a sweet, buttery counterpoint. A match made in heaven!
Ingredients
For the base
30g unsalted butter, at room temperature
40g light brown sugar
3 just-ripe pears, peeled
For the cake
200ml long black coffee, hot or cold
200g molasses
150g unsalted butter, cut into roughly 8 pieces
70g soft, light brown sugar
80g caster sugar
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
270g plain flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
creme fraiche, to serve
Method
Step 1
Prepare a 23cm round baking dish (I use a deep, ceramic dish, but you could also use a cake tin, ideally non-stick) by smearing the butter thickly all over the base and lightly around the sides. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the entire base.
Step 2
Quarter the pears lengthwise and remove the cores, then halve each quarter so you have 8 pieces per pear and 24 altogether. Cover the base with the slices, lying them cut side down and very close together so there are as few gaps as possible. Set aside.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 175C fan-forced (195C conventional).
Step 4
Combine the coffee, molasses, butter and sugars in a large saucepan and place over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and add the bicarbonate of soda. Whisk gently – it will turn foamy and rise up – then set aside to cool slightly.
Step 5
Sift the flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon and salt into a large mixing bowl, then add the coffee-molasses mixture and whisk to incorporate. Add the eggs and continue to whisk until smooth and fully combined.
Step 6
Spoon the batter carefully over the pears in the prepared baking tin and place onto the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before edging a knife around the sides of the tin to release the cake.
Step 7
Place a large serving plate on top of the cake tin and invert the cake to reveal the pears on top. Serve warm or cold with creme fraiche.
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Helen Goh is a chef and regular Good Weekend columnist.
