Sticky Pear Ginger Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Put the chopped dates in a pan with the milk, butter, ginger preserve and dark muscovado. Heat gently until the butter has melted and the mixture starts to bubble round the edges of the pan. Stir well and set aside for 1 hr to cool.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line the base of a buttered 23cm springform tin with baking parchment. Peel and chop the pears into large chunks. Mix the flour, chopped pecans and bicarb with the spices, then stir into the cooled date mixture with the eggs. Pour into the tin and scatter over the pears. Roughly break the reserved pecans and drop on top. Bake for 40 mins, then cover the top loosely with foil and return to the oven for 25-30 mins more until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with just sticky crumbs - the cake may still look a little wet around the pears.
• While the cake is baking, make the brandy syrup. Tip the light muscovado sugar into a pan with 50ml water and dissolve over a low heat until syrupy. Stir in the brandy and set aside. When the cake is ready, spoon over half the syrup, then leave the cake to cool before serving with extra syrup on the side.
• To freeze, cool the cake in its tin, then wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost and warm through in a low oven. The syrup can be frozen separately, warmed, then drizzled over as before.

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment or waxed paper.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pears and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice and remove pan from the heat.
• Whisk the flour, ginger, the remaining 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
• In another bowl, whisk the milk, molasses, and remaining brown sugar. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth. Use a spatula to stir the molasses mixture into the dry ingredients to make a thick liquid batter.
• Heat the water and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan until just boiling. Whisk the hot water into to the batter until just combined. Stir in the pears. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
• Cool cake in the pan on a rack. Cut into 12 squares. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving, if desired.