Comfort food

I think my husband loves me more when I make cakes!  He also likes it when I sew his trousers up and sew on missing buttons.  All the old-fashioned stuff - must take him back to his childhoold.

I've been making the following two cake/desserts lately and have had requests for the recipes so here you go.  Both can very easily be made gluten free.

Pear and Almond Flan
1 tbs brown sugar
150g butter
150g caster sugar
2 large eggs lightly beaten
150g almond meal
2 tbsp self-raising flour (use gluten free if you like to make gf)
2 tbsp blanched almonds
3 or 4 pears, skin on

Line a circular flan or cake tin 23cm in diameter with non-stick baking paper. Sprinkle brown sugar over the baking paper.

In a bowl, cream together butter and caster sugar to create creamy mixture. Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the mixture. Add almond meal and flour and mix well.

Cut the pears vertically, leaving the skin on and the stalk at end (I spoon out the pip and stalk from middle). Place the pieces decoratively down in the flan dish or cake tin, flat sides down. Fill the gaps with blanched almonds. Pour the cake mixture over the pears and almonds and press down.

Bake in preheated oven at 190c for 45 minutes or until the filling feels firm at the centre. Allow to cool. Ease the flan away from the edge of the dish with a knife. Place a large serving plate on top and turn over to reveal the very rustic pear side. Looks a treat. I serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt.


Hummingbird slice
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup (125 ml) vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
2 eggs
½ cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 banana, mashed
1 cup grated carrot (about 2 carrots) – I usually end up with more than a cup and use all of it
¾ cup self-raising flour (I use gluten free to make gf but recipe is for normal)
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup shredded coconut
¼ cup chopped pecans


Preheat oven to 160c. Place the sugar, oil and eggs in bowl and whisk to combine. Add the pineapple, banana and carrot and mix to combine. Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, coconut and pecans and mix to combine. Spoon into lightly greased 20cm x 30cm tin lined with baking power. Bake for 45 minutes (I find needs 55 minutes) or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in tin. Slice and serve with Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey.