Pear, ginger & olive oil cake

Makes a (2lb) 8½ × 4½ inch loaf

2–3 pears, peeled and diced (350g)

1 tbsp lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

200g granulated sugar

150g/160ml olive oil

2 eggs

50g crystallized ginger, finely chopped

350g all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp table salt

To garnish

1 pear, skin-on and cut in wedges

1 tbsp demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F/325°F convection. Butter an 8½ × 4½ inch loaf tin and line the base and long sides with a sheet of baking parchment, leaving a little overhang at the sides.

Mix the diced pears in a bowl with the lemon juice and zest and set aside. Place the sugar and oil in a large bowl (or you could use a mixer with a whisk attachment if you are super-lazy) and whisk together until combined. Whisk in the eggs one at a time and keep whisking until you have a lovely thick texture. Get rid of the whisk, add the pear–lemon mixture and use a spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and fold until combined, but try not to overwork the mixture—it is OK to have a couple of lumps.

Transfer the batter to the lined loaf tin. Top with the pear wedges and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes. Turn the tin around for an even bake and leave for another 25 minutes, then check to see if it is done. As this is a very fruit-heavy cake, it can be hard to be sure it is cooked through. The best way is to slide in a knife tip at the midpoint of the loaf; if there is wet batter on it when you pull it out, leave the cake to bake for another 10 minutes. But make sure you are looking at uncooked batter and not simply moisture from the fruit.

Leave to cool in the tin. This cake is best stored in the fridge and will keep for 5–6 days. Allow it to come up to room temperature before eating.