Pear Spice Cake

Ingredients

• Poached Pears

  • 3 Bartlett pears, ripe but firm, with stems
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 4 cups (1 litre) water
  • 1 cup (250 ml) sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick

• Spice Cake

  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) ground almonds (see note)
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ground star anise
  • 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ground nutmeg
  • 1 pinch ground cloves
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) brown sugar
  • 1 egg