Spiced Pear Cake with Ginger Syrup

I couldn't find a way to summarise this cake. It lives it's name, ginger and dark brown sugar poached pear, baked in a lovely spiced cake, served with warm ginger syrup. Very comforting for cold rainy weather or even in winter, minus the calories.

The ginger-zing is really something you would love to hate, or hate to love. I was inspired by Elin's Red Wine Pear Cake and my favourite, traditional ginger sweet soup (tong shui thats is usually served with glutinous rice ball / tong yuen). The poached pears were so delicate, caramelised and gingery, perfectly paired with the slightly spiced cake. I didn't expect much from the cake, I was wrong, the almond meal gave it a good lift, and the ginger syrup is an absolute highlight. It just all comes into one, and it feels complete.

Spiced Pear Cake with Ginger Syrup 

poached pears.
2 cup of water (approximately)
1 thumb size ginger, slightly smashed
1 cinnamon stick
2 - 3 Tbsp of dark brown sugar
2 pears, peeled, halved and cored

method :

1.  fill a pot with water, approximately 2 cup or enough to cover the pears. add the slightly smashed ginger, cinnamon stick and sugar into the pot of water. bring it to a simmer. 
2. in the mean time, peel the two pears, cut in halves, and core the pears. 
3. slowly drop the pears into the ginger liquid, turn on low heat, place the lid on and let it simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. 
4. set aside to cool completely.

spiced cake.
75g unsalted butter
50g castor sugar
1 egg
112g self raising flour
50g almond meal
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
30ml milk
40ml ginger liquid from poached pears

method :

1. preheat oven to 170C, line a square 5-inch pan with parchment paper. 
2. cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add in egg, continue to beat at a low speed. (the batter does look like scrambled eggs at this point, keep beating)
3. sift in flour and continue to mix, add in almond meal, mixed spice and cinnamon. beat in milk and ginger liquid from poached pears. (the liquid from poached pears is diluted, unthickened such as water, just like ginger soup in chinese sweet soup - tong shui).
4. pour batter into prepared pan, stack and decorate the top with poached pears, very gently as the poached pears are delicate and soft. lightly press the pears into the cake batter.
5. bake cake for 40 - 50 minutes or until a tested skewer comes out clean. remove cake to cool on a wire rack.
6. serve warm with ginger syrup.

ginger syrup. 
reserved liquid from poached pears (approximately 1 1/2 cup)
3 Tbsp of dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp of castor sugar
1/2 tsp corn flour
1 Tbsp of water

method :

1. in a small pot, bring the ginger liquid (tong shui) to a boil. add in sugars, and let it simmer for 15 minutes. it may take a longer time depending on the consistency of the liquid.
2. reduce the liquid to syrup consistency. mix corn flour with water to form a slurry. add corn flour mixture into the syrup and let it simmer for another minute. 
3. serve warm with spiced cake!

Don't forget to drizzle syrup over the nice and warm cake. Perfect spiced cake, warm and comforting to beat the chill !