Pear & Olive Oil Cake
Adapted from Ottolenghi
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes
This cake is best made a day ahead of time
- 1/2 cup raisins or sultanas
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking bicarb soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 3/4 cup caster or superfine sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 3 pears, cored and diced
- 1/2 cup crystallised ginger
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 100g/3.5ozs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 25g/8.8ozs. cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 cups icing or powdered sugar, sifted
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 170C/338F. Line the base and sides of a 20cm/8inch round springform tin. Soak raisins in the water for 10 minutes and then drain once finished. Meanwhile start the rest of the mixture. Whisk the flour, bicarb, cinnamon, salt and baking powder together in a bowl. In a large bowl whisk the oil, sugar and eggs together until it becomes a thick cohesive mixture. Add diced pears, ginger, drained raisins, lemon zest and lemon juice. Fold in dry ingredients.
Step 2 - Whisk the egg whites until you get soft peaks and then add the additional sugar and whisk until you get a glossy meringue - you don't need to take this until it is very stiff though. Fold the meringue into the main mixture trying to keep as much air in as possible. Scoop into the prepared cake tin and bake for 1 hour and 5 or 10 minutes and the centre springs back when pressed. Cool completely and wrap until next day.
Step 3 - Make the cream cheese frosting. Beat the butter with paddle attachment until smooth. Add the cream cheese and beat again until smooth and incorporated. On low speed add the sugar and beat and then increase speed once the sugar has been incorporated adding lemon juice. Beat until fluffy.
Step 4 - Slice cake in half horizontally and brush each half on cut side with 3 tablespoons of maple syrup. Place one cake on a serving plate and spread with half of the frosting and then add second cake layer and top with cream cheese frosting. I made mine a dome finish but that's honestly because I am a bit of a drama queen.