Lemon Myrtle and Pear Syrup Cake

FOR CAKE

• 260g self-raising flour
• 165g raw caster sugar
• 185g butter, softened and diced – plus a small extra amount for greasing the tin
• 3 eggs, at room temp
• 80ml cooled pear syrup – see below

LEMON MYRTLE-POACHED PEARS

• 4 pears, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 tbsp The Spice People’s Lemon Myrtle

1. To make your poached pears, combine the sugar and water in a large saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add your pear pieces and lemon myrtle and bring it to a boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pear from the syrup and set aside to cool completely. Continue to simmer the syrup for a further 20 minutes to reduce by half. Pour into a heat-proof jug and set aside to cool.
2. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees Celsius (or 150 fan-forced). Grease a 22cm springform tin and line the base with baking paper. Place your flour, sugar, butter, eggs, in a mixing bowl and combine with an electric mixer until a smooth, thick batter is formed. Increase the speed to high and whisk non-stop for 3 minutes or until the mixture becomes very pale and creamy.
3. Spoon half the cake batter into your prepared tin and top with half the pear slices. Cover with the remaining cake batter and then top again with the remaining pear slices. Drizzle 80 mls of cooled syrup on top. Bake in the oven for 45 min or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
   Heat the remaining syrup until just-simmering then pour over the cake before setting aside to cool in its tin for at least 20 minutes. 
4. While the cake cools, return the remaining syrup once more to the heat and simmer until reduced by half. Serve your cake slices with the reduced syrup and cream or ice cream and enjoy!