Pear & Date Cake

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. 1Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Spray a loaf tin with cooking spray, and line with baking paper.
2. 2Boil water and soak chopped dates in a bowl.
3. 3In 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. 4Sift flour and baking powder and add to mixture, 1/3 at a time alternating with the juice on low speed.
5. 5Stop mixer and with a wooden spoon, add date mixture and stir until blended. Gently add pears.
6. 6Pour 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. 7Cool on a cake rack.