Cook of the Month:
Saturday family lunch

Upside-down Pear Cake
Very easy to make, this cake is a great pudding for children who want to lend a hand in the kitchen. Many types of fruit can be used in place of pears – try apples, bananas, peaches, pineapple and plums.

Serves 4

3 pears, peeled, halved and cored
175g butter
175g caster sugar
3 eggs
175g self-raising flour, sifted
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp icing sugar
you'll also need a 20cm shallow pudding dish or cake tin, greased and lined with baking parchment

1. Arrange the pear halves evenly over the bottom of the prepared pudding dish or tin and set aside.
2. Using an electric beater or a wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs, adding them one at a time and mixing well after each addition.
4. Add the flour to the bowl, gently fold it into the mixture, then stir in the milk.
5. Spoon the cake mixture evenly over the pears and smooth the surface.
6. Cook in a preheated oven at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 45 minutes, until the surface is firm when gently touched and the cake comes slightly away from the sides of the dish.
7. Remove from the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate. Peel away the baking parchment, dust the top of the cake evenly with icing sugar and serve immediately.

Source: eat drink live by Fran Warde (Ryland, Peters and Small)