Pear and Almond cake

If you like pears, if you like almonds and you like cake.......then you'll like this!

6oz butter or margarine - 6oz caster sugar - 3 eggs - 6oz self raising flour - 2oz cornflour

2oz ground almonds - 2 teaspoons almond essence - 3 medium pears cored and chopped into chunks (conference are good for this) - flaked almonds for the top of the cake

1 Line a 7inch (18cm) deep cake tin and heat the oven to 160C (325F) Gas mark 4

2 Cream the butter and sugar until soft then add the eggs one at a time and mix well.

3 Add the sieved flour and cornflour, the ground almonds and the almond essence.

4 Peel and core the pears then cut into chunks and stir into the mixture until combined.

5 Pour mixture into the cake tin and make a small well in the centre.

6 Scatter the flaked almonds liberally over the top and bake in the centre of the oven for about one and a half hours (or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean).

7 Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack, remove the paper and leave until completely cold.