This spiced ginger, pear and rye cake is the perfect hobbit treat for afternoon tea on a cold winter’s day in the Shire.
Winter Comfort in the Shire
With the chill of winter blanketing the Shire and the fires and celebration of Yuletide fading, the hobbits settle into their hobbit holes and await the coming spring. After all the feasting and celebrating at Yuletide, the hobbits look forward to simpler fare as they make use of their well-stocked pantries and larders. While still enjoying their plethora of daily meals, the hobbits turn to the vegetables, fruits, and other foodstuffs preserved from the year before to create simple but nourishing dishes.
Ginger, Pear, and Rye Cake for Afternoon Tea
As the afternoon stretches on, the hungry hobbits eagerly look forward to a mid-afternoon tea break. They settle in with a piping hot pot of tea and a slice of this sweet and spiced ginger pear cake. Made with a blend of all-purpose and dark rye flour, this rye cake gets a punch of spicy flavour from both ground and fresh ginger. Ripe pears are grated into the cake and thinly sliced to garnish the top of the cake resulting in a moist and delicious crumb. With a touch of molasses, this ginger, pear, and rye tea cake is the perfect sweet treat to enjoy for a cozy winter afternoon tea.
More Hobbit Recipes
- Recipes for first breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses and luncheon.
- Enjoy more afternoon tea recipes from Middle Earth.
Ingredients
Pears: I used two ripe Bartlett pears for this recipe, although you could use Anjou or Bosc pears instead if you prefer. I recommend using ripe pears if you can. Thinly slice the pears that are used to garnish the top of the cake, if the slices are too thick, they will sink into the cake batter before it sets.
Ginger: This cake uses both ground and fresh ginger to get a strong ginger flavour. Use a rasp or microplane to finely grate the fresh ginger.
Rye: I use a blend of rye and all-purpose flour for this cake. While you could use all rye flour, it does result in a much different, slightly gummy, texture. The addition of all-purpose flour creates a more delicate texture while the rye adds a depth of flavour. I used dark rye flour although light rye flour would work as well.
How to Make ginger, Pear, and Rye Cake
Make the batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the rye and all-purpose flours, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Whisk to combine and then set aside.
Cut one pear in half and set aside one half to garnish the cake. Peel, core, and peel the remaining pears and then set aside. Use a rasp to finely grate the fresh ginger. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and molasses. Whisk until combined. Add the grated pears and fresh ginger.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan. Thinly slice the remaining pear and arrange decoratively on top of the batter.
Bake the cake
Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the top springs back when touched. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then turn the cake out onto a rack to cool. Enjoy!
