Caramelised pear and almond pudding cake

This is one of those cakes (well, more pudding than cake) that doesn't look all that special but tastes divine. I think there's something pretty good about a pud like that - the surprise that your somewhat low expectations have been confounded as you take your first mouthful makes the delight at its surprise deliciousness all the better! This was dreamt up when I found a mountain of these baby pears in the grocers. Like golden sugar plums, they looked too pretty to eat and sat adorning a fruitbowl for several days while I waited for them to hit their perfect ripeness. Finally as they began to brown they took on a rustic look of windfall apples, and I knew it was time to turn them into a pudding. I made a cake batter with cinnamon, ground almonds and cream cheese, then caramelised the pears in apple and elderflower juice to top the cake. Before it finished baking, I topped the cake with slivered almonds, caramelised with the pear juices and a splash of cream, which gave the cake a crunchy topping and a ripple of warm silky caramel running through the middle. 

Ingredients

For the caramelised pears

1 lb baby pears, cored and quartered

3 tbsp apple and elderflower juice

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp butter

3 tbsp sugar

For the cake

4 oz butter

6 oz cream cheese

2 tsp vanilla extract

6 oz caster sugar

4 eggs

6 oz self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

2 oz ground almonds

For the caramelised almonds

2 oz flaked almonds

2 tbsp cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line the base and sides of an 11 inch round springform cake tin.
2. Begin by coring the pears and chopping them into chunks. As you go, place them in a bowl with the apple and elderflower juice to stop them from browning. Add the cinnamon and stir to coat the pears well.
3. Heat the butter and sugar in a saucepan, then add the pears with the juice. Leave to simmer while you make the cake batter, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat once the pears have softened and caramelised but still hold their shape.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.
5. Measure out the flour and set aside.
6. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, followed by a large spoonful of flour between each egg.  Beat well after each addition.
7. Sift in the remaining flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ground almonds, and beat to combine smoothly.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, spreading it level.
9. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pears from the pan, leaving the caramel juices behind (reserving these in the pan), and arrange them on top of the cake batter.
10. Place the cake in the centre of the preheated oven, with a baking tray beneath it to catch and drips.
11. Meanwhile, make the caramelised almonds by adding flaked almonds and cream to the pan of caramelised juices left over from the pears, stirring over a medium heat for five minutes.
12. After the cake has been in the oven for 40 minutes, pour the caramelised flaked almonds over the top and return to the oven for 15 minutes or until it is well risen and a cake tester comes out clean.
13. Cool for 20 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a serving plate.