Pear & Choc Chip Pecan Crumble Cake

Cook Time 1 hour and 40 minutes

Servings 10-12

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour
1 cup caster sugar
¼ cup pecan nuts
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
150g butter, chopped

1 cup sour cream
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
2 eggs
3 firm ripe pears, cored and cut into 1 cm pieces
½ cup milk chocolate chips

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C and lined a 23cm round springform pan with baking paper, so that the paper sticks up above the sides of the pan.

Place the flour, sugar, pecans, baking powder and spices into a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Set aside 1 cup of mixture.

Stir together the sour cream and lemon juice, then add to the food processor along with the bicarbonate soda and eggs, and pulse until just combined. Spread half of the cake batter in the base of the greased and lined pan. Sprinkle over a third of the reserved crumb mixture, and half of the chocolate chips and half of the pear. Spoon over the remaining cake batter. Top with remaining pears, chocolate chips and remaining crumb mixture.

Bake in a moderate oven 180°C for 50 minutes. Reduce the heat to 170°C and bake, shielding with foil if browning too much, for a further 30-40 minutes or until cooked when tested. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container until required.