Pear and Chestnut Cake

A lovely autumnal cake, the kind you want to eat when you come back in from a bracing walk, washed down with a cup of tea. Alternatively, it makes a good pudding when served with a dollop of mascarpone and a dusting of icing sugar. The pears are such a nice choice for this time of year - but could be swapped out for whatever fruit is available to you. If getting your hands on chestnuts is an issue, replace them with self-raising flour instead. 

Makes 8-10 slices (depending on how much you love cake)

Ingredients:
2 pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
185g unsalted butter
185g caster sugar 
3 large eggs
50g roasted chestnuts (vacuum packed ones are great)
140g self raising flour
1 scant tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 195ºC/175ºC fan. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line the bottom of it with a circle of greaseproof paper.

2. Blitz the chestnuts for a couple of seconds in a food processor until fine, set aside for later.

3. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

4. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.

5. Gently fold in the flour, ground chestnuts, baking powder and salt until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

6. Pour into the prepared cake tin and arrange the pear slices on top.

7. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, test with a point to see if cooked. Leave to cool and serve with a dollop of mascarpone.