For breakfast over the winter months, I got rather fond of porridge topped with banana and pear and a generous pouring of thick cream. The combination of porridge oats, pear and banana seemed to work really well together so I thought I’d try and create a cake that captured those wintry, breakfasty flavours.

For the top of the cake (or the bottom as it bakes) I caramelised pear slices and then incorporated the porridge oats into the sponge mix.

Caramelised Pear, Banana and Oat Cake

INGREDIENTS

For the caramelised pears

100 g sugar
60 g salted butter
2 large and firm Conference pears, cored, peeled and sliced lengthways

For the cake mix

250 g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
150 g sugar
100 g salted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, well beaten
50 g porridge oats
3 ripe medium bananas

23 cms solid cake tin.

Heat the oven to 180 degrees.

METHOD

Put the 100 g sugar in the cake tin and place on a hotplate to melt the sugar slowly. It will start to change colour as it melts, but don’t rush it. Once the sugar has all dissolved, it will start to smoke a little. Turn off the heat and add the butter. You don’t need to stir it too much; just melt the butter.

Lay the slices of pear in a circle around the tin and leave to cool. The pears soften well when the cake is baked so there is no need to cook them at this stage.

Now, make the cake batter.

Mash the bananas roughly in a bowl with a fork. Melt the butter in a small pan and then leave to cool.

In another bowl, add the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and rolled oats and stir to combine them.

Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy and then gently mix in the bananas. Pour in the cooled, melted butter and then stir in the dry ingredients.

Pour over the slices of pear in the cake tin and then place in the oven for around 40 - 45 minutes. The cake should feel firm to the touch.

While the cake is still warm from the oven, run a knife around the edge of the cake tin and turn it our immediately onto a plate.

The cake has a puddingy texture and would be delicious as a dessert straight out of the oven, served with thick cream or a dollop of homemade vanilla or almond ice cream. It is equally delicious with a cup of coffee or tea.