This recipe is based on the popular classic French yoghurt pot cake, where all the ingredients were measured in these gorgeous clay yoghurt pots.
Ingredients
- 3 firm, ripe pears, washed
- knob butter
- 1 teaspoon honey or golden syrup
- 3 eggs
- 150 g pot plain unsweetened yoghurt
- ¾ cup caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence or extract
- 1½ cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 150 g butter, melted and cooled
- 1 apple, cored and grated (unpeeled)
HONEY SYRUP
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup water or sweet white wine
- pinch ground cardamom, optional
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan bake). Set the rack in the centre of the oven. Lightly grease the base and sides of a 22cm–24cm round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
- Cut each pear into six or eight long wedges and remove the cores if wished. Heat the knob of butter in a frying pan over a moderate heat, add the pear slices and cook only until lightly browned on both sides. Drizzle over the honey or golden syrup and turn the pears to coat. Set aside.
- In a jug or bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, yoghurt, sugar and vanilla essence or extract.
- Into a mixing bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder and make a well in the centre. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir gently to combine, adding the melted butter and grated apple towards the end of the mixing process. Do not beat the mixture as it will make the crumb tough. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared tin and arrange the browned pear slices on top.Bake in the preheated oven for 45–50 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the honey syrup. Warm all the ingredients together in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for about 1 minute.
- Once the cake is well risen, golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, remove from the oven. Pour the syrup slowly over the cake and allow the cake to cool in the tin before turning out onto a cake rack to cool. Delicious served warm with whipped cream.
- Keep in an airtight container for about 7 days.
