Serves 8
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To make the poached pears:

To make the loaf:

For the icing:

  1. Combine the wine, sugar, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and orange in a large pot over a medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Gently place the pears in the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add a lid and leave to simmer for 25-30 minutes until the pears are just tender when pierced with a skewer.
  2. Remove the pears and leave to cool. The remaining liquid in the pot can be kept and served as a mulled wine.
  3. Preheat the oven to 160˚C/140˚C fan/gas mark 3. Grease a standard 1kg loaf tin and line with parchment paper.
  4. Beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and orange zest in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until incorporated.
  5. In a separate bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, mixed spice and almonds together. Beat this into the butter mixture until just combined.
  6. Pour the batter into the tin and add the poached pears, bottom side-down, spaced equally apart.
  7. Bake in the oven for 50-55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Once baked, allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and allow to cool on a wire rack.
  8. Meanwhile, beat the butter and cream cheese for the icing in a mixing bowl for a few minutes until fluffy. Gradually beat in the icing sugar until combined. Beat in the vanilla.
  9. Spread the icing over the cooled cake and decorate as desired.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving: 709kcals, 12.1g fat (3.8g saturated), 129.7g carbs, 100.7g sugars, 8.4g protein, 6.3g fibre, 0.082g sodium