Procrastination....

It turns out that spending an entire day (3 hours) in the library is conducive to hard work....just perhaps not the kind relevant to my degree...I baked an experimental cake when I got home.

I had a chocolate and apple cake at a little cafe near the house during the summer and have wanted to replicate the flavours since – but, it being a late evening in January, the fruit bowl was barren, all but a pear.  I now know that using super moist fruit in a cake makes it dense, delicious, but a heavy sponge, so what I made was closer to a brownie in texture.

The substitution of 2oz of caster sugar for 2ox of soft brown sugar aided in the caramel taste, but heavier texture.  I think I thought I was being more healthy/clever by using the brown sugar.

Served in squares, the cake was lovely warm with vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate pear brownie cake
6oz self-raising flour - 1tbsp
1tbsp cocoa powder
4oz caster sugar
2oz soft brown sugar
3 eggs
dash of milk
juicy pear

1) Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line an 8" square cake tin.
2) Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
3) Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
4) Fold in the flour and cocoa powder - remember to replace 1 tbsp flour for the tbsp of cocoa powder.
5) Add the milk and pear and fold until combined.
6) Pour into the tin and bake for 20-25 minutes.
7) Allow to cool before serving otherwise you will burn your mouth.