Pear and Raspberry Cake

This is based on Rachel Allen's recipe for Dutch Apple cake and her variation for adding pears and raspberries.

For 10-12 portions you need:
2 eggs
175g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
85g butter
75ml milk
125g plain flour
grated rind of an orange
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
4 ripe pears, peeled and cut into 6ths
1/2 pack frozen raspberries

Begin by whisking the sugar and eggs together till thick and frothy. Meanwhile melt the butter with the milk and then slowly whisk in to the egg mixture. Add the flour, baking powder and orange rind. Pour in to a lined baking tin. Lay the pears and raspberries on the top. Bake for 10 mins at 200 degrees then for a further 30 mins at 180 degrees.

Pear and Vanilla Microwave Pudding

I was inspired for this by a recipe in BBC Good Food Magazine for a banana and cinnamon microwave cake pudding. I've had a tin of pears lurking at the back of the cupboard since forever and this seemed like a good time to use them us. Also the bananas I had got from the supermarket yesterday were far too green to work properly. The result was a lovely smelling, incredibly quick and easy pudding to make. Yumsome indeed.

For 4 portions you need:
1 tin pears, drained. Leave 4 halves whole and roughly chop the remaining pears into chunks.
100g each of soft brown sugar, butter and self raising flour
2 tbsp pear juice (make sure the pears are tinned in juice and not syrup!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

Begin by melting the butter in the microwave. Once melted add everything else, apart from the reserved whole halves. Mix well and put into a souffle dish. Sit the remaining halves in the batter and then microwave on high for 8 minutes. Serve with custard or ice cream or cream or whatever you fancy. These type of microwave cakes tend to go a bit hard the next day, but it is edible if this happens. Just smother in lots of custard before re-heating.