Pear, ginger and choc chip loaf

2 ripe but firm pears
1 lemon, zest plus juice of ½
180g sugar
150g oil
2 large eggs
60g stem ginger drained and chopped
100g chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate, plus extra to garnish
350g plain flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt

Garnish:
1 thinly sliced pear, oven dried (optional)
150g icing sugar
Stem ginger syrup
Lemon juice
One finely diced chunk of stem ginger
A few chocolate chips

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (fan). Grease and line your baking tin/s.
• Peel, core and finely dice the pears into a small bowl and then add the juice of half a lemon and the zest to prevent the pear from turning brown.
• Whisk the oil and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until the sugar is dissolved. Now beat in the eggs one at a time and whisk until the mix is thick and pale.
• Fold in the pear and lemon mixture and then the ginger and chocolate chips.
• Sieve the dry ingredients into the bowl and fold gently but do not overmix or the cake will be tough.
• Bake for 45 - 70 minutes depending on the size of the tins. If it is browning too quickly, top the cake with a piece of foil. Check that the cake is done with a thin skewer in the middle; the skewer may be wet because of the fruit but there should be no raw batter clinging to it.
• Allow the cake to cool in the tin, then pour over a glace icing made with the icing sugar mixed to a thick pouring consistency with equal amounts of lemon juice, ginger syrup and water. Garnish with oven dried pear slices (if using), chopped stem ginger and chocolate chips.
  
  Louismann