Pears, almonds and warm chai spice baked into a soft cake that is good with tea and even better slightly warm.
September is when the fruit bowl starts to change. Pears replace peaches, the oven becomes useful again, and a cake that can sit on the kitchen table for a couple of days suddenly feels like a sensible idea.
Ghar Ki Chai Chai Spice Mix goes straight into the batter here. Its cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pepper and nutmeg sit naturally with pear and almond, giving the cake warmth without making it taste heavy or overly sweet.
The recipe
Serves 8 to 10 · Prep 20 minutes · Bake 45 to 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 150g unsalted butter, softened
- 150g light brown soft sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 125g plain flour
- 100g ground almonds
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp Ghar Ki Chai Chai Spice Mix
- Small pinch of fine sea salt
- 100g full-fat Greek yoghurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ripe but firm pears
- 25g flaked almonds
- Icing sugar, optional
Method
1. Prepare the tin
Heat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
2. Make the batter
Beat the butter and sugar together until lighter and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, Chai Spice Mix and salt, then stir through the yoghurt and vanilla until just combined.
3. Add the pears
Core the pears and slice them thinly. Spoon the batter into the tin, smooth the top and arrange the pear slices loosely over the surface. Scatter over the flaked almonds.
4. Bake
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer pushed into a cake section rather than a piece of pear comes out without wet batter. Leave in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a rack.
5. Serve
Serve warm or at room temperature. A spoonful of Greek yoghurt or crème fraîche works well alongside it. Add a very light dusting of icing sugar if you like, but the cake does not need much else.
Recipe notes
Pears: Use fruit that is ripe but still firm enough to slice. Storage: Keep covered at room temperature for up to two days, or refrigerate for up to four days and bring back to room temperature before serving. Spice: Two teaspoons gives a clear but balanced chai note. Use 1½ teaspoons for a gentler finish.