Olive Oil And Sauternes Cake With Roast Pear

Ingredients 

For the roast pears
4 beurre bosc pears, halved or quartered lengthways, core removed, stem intact
80ml (2½ fl oz/cup) sauternes dessert wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons caster (super-fine) sugar

For the cake
115g (4oz/½ cup) caster (super-fine) sugar
2 eggs
185ml (6fl oz/¾ cup) olive oil
125ml (4fl oz/½ cup) sauternes dessert wine
80ml (2½ fl oz/ cup) milk
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
185g (6½ oz/1½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder

For the sauternes syrup
115g (4oz/½ cup) caster (super-fine) sugar
125ml (4fl oz/½ cup) sauternes dessert wine
thick (double/heavy) cream

Method

Serves 8. 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Place the pears in a roasting tin, drizzle with the wine and oil and sprinkle with the sugar. Roast for 45 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender and starting to caramelise. Allow to cool to room temperature.

2. To make the cake, lightly grease an 11cm x 22cm (4¼ x 8½ inch) loaf (bar) tin, and line the base and sides with baking paper. Beat the sugar and eggs together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Add the oil, wine, milk and lemon zest and beat until well combined. Add the combined sifted flour and baking powder and slowly beat until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake alongside the pears for 40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

3. To make the sauternes syrup, place the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a small pan and stir constantly over very low heat, without letting it boil, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Increase the heat and allow the syrup to simmer, brushing the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush if necessary, until the syrup turns a golden colour. Keep an eye on the syrup at all times, as once it starts to colour, it will continue to darken very quickly. Turn off the heat, add the wine and stir to combine. Some of the syrup may solidify. If this is the case, return it to a very low heat until it dissolves again. Set aside to cool. Serve the cake with the pears, drizzle with the syrup and add a dollop of cream.