Boiled cake… pear and ginger?

There was a recipe in the newspaper yesterday by the respected cook, Rose Prince for a delicious looking cake. She described it as an oil painting of a cake and the picture she posted did look just like that. It is a sort of upside down cake, halved peeled pears are laid cut side down on a very well buttered, well sugared baking parchment inside a well buttered square tin. the cake mixture is poured in on top so when the cake is cooked and turned out the pears are on the top, all yummy and brown.

The mixture itself is boiled… yes boiled. My tried and trusted method is to cream the butter and sugar and then add flour and egg and flavourings etc; with this recipe the butter, sugar, water, golden syrup and black treacle are boiled together, and when cooled they beaten eggs and ginger are added and then the flour and ground almonds are folded in. It’s all put on the pears and baked and comes out looking delicious.

I have made a boiled cake once before, but a very long time ago and I have no idea whether it was successful or not. I can’t remember that it wasn’t and I tend to remember failures more than successes! I really would like a go at cooking this…. but wait a minute, I’m on a diet… and also there are only two of us are at home and neither of us are great cake eaters. A dilemma!

Solution! On Tuesday, the voluntary teachers at the English conversation class are meeting to look at materials and plan the term’s lessons… I’m sure they would enjoy a piece of pear and ginger cake and a cup of coffee! I will report back how I get on, and how the cake gets on!