Lemon, almond & pear cake
Recipe by Ursula Ferrigno
SERVES 6
Preparation 20 minutes
Cooking 60 minutes
250g unsalted butter, softened
250g caster sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
50g plain flour, sifted
250g ground almonds
1 tsp almond essence
grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
4 ripe pears, peeled and halved
icing sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas Mark 4. Line the base of a 20cm spring-form cake tin, or a tart tin with parchment paper. Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until soft. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding some flour after each addition, until all the eggs and flour have been included.
Fold in the almonds, almond essence, lemon zest and juice.
Make 6 cuts lengthways in each pear half, without cutting all the way through. Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth over. Top with the fanned out pears. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean.
If the cake browns too quickly, cover with a piece of foil. Cook and dust with icing sugar.
