Pear & Date Cake

This cake is perfect for a palate cleansing dessert, or as an afternoon or morning snack with a cup of tea.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 cup chopped dates (150g)
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 3 tbsp. light margarine spread, (option to use butter instead)
• ½ cup hot water
• ½ cup apple or pear juice
• ½ cup low fat plain yoghurt
• 1 lemon zest only
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).  Spray a loaf tin with cooking spray, and line with baking paper.
2. Boil water and soak chopped dates in a bowl.
3. In a mixer, place margarine and sugar and beat on med speed for 5 mins.  Add vanilla and zest, beat another minute.  Add yoghurt and egg, beat on low speed.
4. Sift flour and baking powder and add to mixture, 1/3 at a time alternating with the juice on low speed.
5. Stop mixer and with a wooden spoon, add date mixture and stir until blended.  Gently add pears.
6. Pour into tin and bake for 50 mins, checking with skewer.  It might need another  5 or 10 mins if skewer comes out with mixture on it.
7. Cool on a cake rack.