Pear, sage and almond cake

Have you ever noticed that life’s greatest pleasures sometimes happen when you stop doing what you’re doing - however enjoyable the activity. I think this is true of gardening tea breaks - especially when there’s an autumnal nip in the air. Summer gardening breaks are all about seeking shade, cold drinks and motivating yourself to continue but as the seasons turn there’s nothing nicer than working up a bit of a sweat then putting the kettle on, pulling up a chair and surveying your labours whilst indulging in a hefty slice of cake.

This recipe is endlessly adaptable. Choose whatever looks irresistible in your greengrocers and pair it with fresh herbs and spices - maybe shocking pink rhubarb and stem ginger in the spring, peaches and fennel in high summer or pears off the tree in your garden and sage from the herb bed.

The pastry cream step might seem a bit of a faff but it lightens the frangipane and keeps the cake moist for days.

Shortbread base layer:

150g soft unsalted butter

75g light brown sugar

150g wholemeal or plain flour

50g semolina or rice flour

1/4 tsp fine sea salt.

Frangipane layer

135g light brown sugar

135g soft unsalted butter

2 eggs

50g wholemeal flour

135g ground almonds

1/2 tsp baking powder

10g fresh sage, finely chopped.

Pastry Cream (use half in the recipe)

175ml whole milk

75ml double cream

40g caster sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

30g egg yolk (1 egg)

30g whole egg (1/2 an egg)

15g cornflour

Fruit layer

3 conference pears, unpeeled

30g melted unsalted butter

2 tblsp icing sugar

1/4 tsp flaky sea salt

Fresh sage leaves to finish

To make the pastry cream heat the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla until lightly steaming. Whisk the yolk, egg and cornflour in a bowl until smooth then pour the steaming milk over. Gently whisk then return the mix to the pan over a low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula. As the mixture starts to thicken take the pan off the heat and switch to using a whisk . Beat furiously until you have a thick smooth custard. Once thick, return the pan to the heat and boil very briefly. Cool in a shallow container, covering the surface with cling film or a sprinkling of sugar to stop a skin forming.

Preheat the oven to 180°c fan/gas 6. Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin.

For the base, beat the butter and sugar until softened but not too fluffy. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until it just comes together to form a dough - don’t over mix. Press the shortbread into the tin and prick all over with a fork. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and dry to the touch. Cool.

Make the frangipane by beating the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs gradually and beat until full incorporated. Weigh the flour, almonds and baking powder into a separate bowl and mix to combine. Add to the egg mix in thirds, beating gently between each addition. Add the sage then gradually fold in half the chilled pastry cream.

Spread the frangipane over the shortbread base. Slice the pears in half from tip to base then into long thin quarters. Remove the core and slice again into eighth. Lay the pears onto the frangipane, brush lightly with a little melted butter then sprinkle with icing sugar and the salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pears are lightly caramelised and the frangipane is golden brown.

Leave to cool in the tin before removing. Sprinkle with the sage leaves, lightly fried in butter to crisp up. Serve with the remaining pastry cream loosened slightly by beating with a little more cream.

Got some spare dough?

Do you have a little spare dough after pizza night - or you’re just making your regular bread and want to have something to snack on later?

These ‘Stecca’ use just 100g dough each (you can use whatever weight/dough you have to hand). Divide into separate portions then gently stretch the dough lightly to elongate. Lay on a lined baking tray and push your flavours of choice into the dough - here I’ve used tiny cherry tomatoes from my garden, fresh rosemary and flaky sea salt on one and kalamata olives, herbe de Provence and flaky sea salt on the other. Brush with tasty olive oil and allow to prove until bouncy and bubbly. Bake at 220°c for 15 minutes until golden.

New baking classes for 2025:

Pasteis de Nata:This 3 hour class will teach you how to make the iconic Pasteis de Nata - egg custard tarts infused with lemon zest and cinnamon encased in a buttery layered then rolled puff pastry shell. Described as one of ‘Portugal's Seven Wonders of Gastronomy’ this little treat will perhaps take you back to memories of Lisbon and will wow your friends and family when you recreate it at home.

Baking with Rye Explore the delicious potential of baking with rye flour in this full day class. We’ll be taking our inspiration from both Eastern Europe and Scandinavian rye traditions. Working with both sourdough and bakers yeast to create a range of rye breads using local Suffolk flour, milling whole grains and blending delicious spices, seeds and flakes with flavourful ingredients.  

Nordic breads and pastries. Learn to work with a range of flours, whole grains, seeds, flakes and traditional Nordic spices to create traditional wheat and rye wholegrain breads and a deliciously soft and sweet bun dough for semlor, sticky cardamon knots, cinnamon buns and much more.

What I’m reading

I’m often asked which is my favourite baking book. It’s a tricky question to answer as my collection of books fulfil many functions - I very rarely follow a recipe word for word but mainly use my books for ideas and inspiration- I’m nosy about the world of bread and its limitless possibilities! If you’ve been to a class you’ll know my groaning book case is just next to my teaching table and the different titles often prove to be a talking point amongst students.

‘Bread’ by Peter Hamelman is my number one recommendation to anyone who asks me to choose. Its not the fanciest or most up to date book on the shelf and although some of the photos are decidedly dated, the delicate hand drawn images of bread techniques are a thing of beauty. This book always feels like a safe pair of hands. I’ve never had an issue with any of the formulas and although its American in my copy weights are in grams. The chapters and recipes sweep across great swathes of the world and cover many methods and technique from sourdough to sweet doughs each with clear instructions and interesting descriptions. it’s the book I reach for first.

Upcoming classes

Italian baking 10th September

Half day sourdough workshop: 14th September

European baking 8th October

Introduction to baking 15th October