Great for anyone on a dairy-free diet, this dense, moist cake with its delicate taste of pear and sugary, peppery bite of stem ginger makes a great choice for afternoon tea. Serve it plain or enjoy it with thick soy cream poured over the top.

Ingredients: (Serves 8)

• 3 eggs
• 160 ml/6 fl oz vegetable oil
• 2 pears, grated
• 4 pieces of stem ginger in syrup, chopped
• 170 g/6 oz self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 140 g/5 oz caster sugar
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4. Grease a 20-cm/8-inch round cake tin and line the bottom with greaseproof paper.

Put the eggs and oil in a bowl and beat together to combine, then stir in the grated pears and stem ginger. Combine the flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg and sugar, and sift over the egg mixture. Fold together until well mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 1 hour until risen and golden and skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar to serve.