Name: Sticky ginger and pear cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: Melted butter, to grease, plus extra 200g butter, melted; 220g golden syrup; 170g sour cream; 100g brown sugar; 2 free-range eggs; 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger; Finely grated zest of ½ lemon; 130g self-raising flour; 90g plain flour; 40g semolina; 2 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp sea-salt flakes; Cream, to serve; TOPPING; 80g butter, chopped; 110g brown sugar; ½ tsp sea-salt flakes; 2 pears, peeled, thinly sliced; 125g glacé ginger, thinly sliced

Sticky ginger and pear cake

Pure delight.

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Serves 12

Prep

20M

Cook

50M

Total

1H 10M

Skip to Recipe

This sticky ginger and pear cake combines the warm spiciness of ginger with the sweetness of ripe pears. With a buttery golden syrup base and a luscious topping of caramelised pears and glacé ginger, this cake truly celebrates seasonal ingredients.

Each slice offers a perfect balance of textures and tastes, paired with a dollop of fresh cream, making it an irresistible dessert or afternoon tea.

Ingredients

Melted butter, to grease, plus extra 200g butter, melted

220g golden syrup

170g sour cream

100g brown sugar

2 free-range eggs

2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

Finely grated zest of ½ lemon

130g self-raising flour

90g plain flour

40g semolina

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp sea-salt flakes

Cream, to serve

TOPPING

80g butter, chopped

110g brown sugar

½ tsp sea-salt flakes

2 pears, peeled, thinly sliced

125g glacé ginger, thinly sliced

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced (200°C conventional). Lightly grease a 24cm springform tin with butter. Line base with baking paper.

To make topping, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in sugar and salt. Pour mixture into prepared tin and spread evenly over base. Arrange pear and ginger on top. Set aside.

For cake, whisk syrup, sour cream, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Add extra melted butter, whisking to combine. Stir in ginger and lemon zest.

In a separate bowl, sift combined flours, semolina, ground ginger, baking powder and salt. Carefully fold in syrup mixture.

Pour batter into tin, over topping, taking care not to disturb your arrangement. Gently tap tin to remove any air bubbles.

Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in tin on a wire rack.

Invert the cake onto a serving platter, pear side up. Serve with cream.

sticky ginger pear cake — *(Credit: Marina Oliphant)*

Karen Martini Chef

Melbourne chef, restaurateur and food writer Karen Martini has been cooking professionally for more than 20 years. A passionate ambassador for Ovarian Cancer Research, Karen aims to build the awareness of the silent killer that is often misdiagnosed.

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Ingredients

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