Day 12. A recipe for cake.

Pear and Blueberry Cake

This morning Will headed off in the dark for an 11 mile run with Ryston Runners A.C. while Bea and I had breakfast in bed. Totally indulgent and the perfect way to start the weekend. The rest of the day has revolved around the house: clearing the study ready for our new furniture, the usual household chores and several hours blissfully spent in the kitchen. As I type there's a sausage casserole in the slow cooker and we've just tucked into a slice of Pear & Blueberry Cake with our afternoon cuppa. So in today's post I thought I'd share the recipe for this super easy cake which is so jam packed with fruit that I feel one slice would count towards your five a day. Hope you like it.

Pear & Blueberry Cake (courtesy of Nigel Slater **)

130g butter
130g unrefined caster sugar
2 ripe pears (I use a tin of pears in juice instead)
2 large eggs
130g flour
1 tsp baking powder
250g blueberries
A little extra sugar

1. Set the oven at 180C/Gas 4 and line the base of a square 21-22cm cake tin with a piece of baking parchment.

2. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. A food mixer will do this far more efficiently than by hand.*

3. Whilst this is happening, peel and core the pears and cut into small chunks.

4. Break the eggs, beat them with a fork and then gradually add them to the butter and sugar.

5. Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold them gently into the mixture. Scrape the batter into the lined cake tin.

6. Rinse the blueberries and then scatter over the cake mixture along with the pear chunks. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of sugar over the top.

7. Bake for 50-55 minutes then test with a skewer. If it comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool for ten minutes before turning out of the tin.

8. Delicious when still slightly warm!

* Today is the first time I've made it with a mixer and although I think it is improved, mixing by hand has never impaired the flavour.

** This recipe is taken from Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries.