This pear-studded, moist cake with its hazelnut streusel topping is easy and quick to make. It is delicious served simply as a piece of cake with a cuppa, or served warm with custard as a dessert.

Ingredients

• 4 ripe pears
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup sugar
• 75 grams butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk

Hazelnut topping

• 1 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 cup soft brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
• 50 grams butter, melted

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease the base and sides of a 23cm square cake tin, or one of similar size, and line with baking paper.
2. Peel, core and cut the pears into 2cm dice. Place in a large bowl with the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre. Into the well put the butter, egg and milk and mix only until all the ingredients are combined. Transfer to the prepared tin.
3. In the bowl used to make the batter, stir together all the topping ingredient – hazelnuts, sugar, flour, ginger if using, and butter and fork together to make crumble-like mix. Scatter over the cake batter.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until a cake skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin. Serve as a cake, or accompany with custard for a dessert.

Cooks Tips

Use almonds or walnuts in place of hazelnuts.