Woodland & Campfire Cooking
Autumnal Hobbit Shire Cake
A cosy, whimsical vegan pear and almond cake, topped with deliciously syrupy caramelised pears and a moist, buttery sponge. Made in one pan over a woodland fire, or baked in the comfort of your own kitchen. A cake fit for the shire!
Vegan, Dairy-free, Egg-free
Prep time
15-20 minutes
Cook time
Oven: 40-50 minutes. Campfire: approximately 30-45+ minutes.
Servings
6-8
Ingredients
For the syrupy caramelised pears:
4 pears, peeled, cored and sliced into wedges
60g vegan butter
60g light brown sugar
For the almond cake:
150g vegan butter, softened
125g brown sugar
75g ground almonds
75g wholemeal self-raising flour
2 tbsp neutral oil (such as sunflower or rapeseed)
4 tbsp plant milk
1 tbsp ground flaxseed (I've found that the cake can be fine without this but to be sure, it is best to include this or a similar egg replacement)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
Pinch of salt
Handful of flaked almonds
Method
1. Prepare the syrupy pears
Melt 40g vegan butter in a 20-22cm oven-safe frying pan over medium-low heat.
Add 50g light brown sugar and 2 tbsp water, stirring gently until the sugar dissolves.
Add the sliced pears and cook for 5-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelised. The pears should be coated in a glossy, buttery syrup, with some liquid remaining in the pan.
Arrange as many pears as you can comfortably fit in an even layer across the bottom of the pan. Any extra pears that won’t fit can be eaten separately, preferably with a little of that lovely syrup!
2. Make the cake batter
Mix the ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp water and leave for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened vegan butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
Stir in the oil, plant milk and flaxseed mixture.
Fold in the ground almonds, wholemeal self-raising flour, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using) and salt.
The batter should be thick but soft enough to spoon. If necessary, add another tablespoon of plant milk.
3. Assemble the cake
Spoon the batter gently over the caramelised pears, spreading it evenly without disturbing the fruit too much.
Leave a little of the buttery syrup beneath the pears to soak into the cake as it cooks. If there is a large amount of free-flowing liquid, spoon some out and save it for serving so the sponge can cook properly.
Now choose your cooking method.
Campfire Instructions
Prepare your fire. Allow the wood to burn down to a bed of glowing embers, with minimal direct flames.
Position the pan. Place your covered frying pan on a stable cooking grid above the embers, away from intense heat.
Cook gently. Cover with a heatproof lid and allow approximately 30-45 minutes, possibly longer depending on the fire and pan.
Rotate occasionally. Turn the pan to distribute the heat evenly and prevent the syrup and pears from burning underneath.
Check the cake. Insert a skewer into the centre. It should come out without wet batter. If the bottom is browning too quickly, move the pan further from the heat.
Rest and turn out. Remove from the fire, leave for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a large plate, allowing the syrupy pears to settle over the cake.
Toast some almond flakes and sprinkle on top of the cake
A little campfire wisdom: Gentle, consistent heat is your friend. Too much heat will burn the sugar before the sponge has cooked through. A covered pan traps some warmth, but it doesn’t work quite like an oven, so check the cake rather than relying on the clock.
Use a suitable fire-safe pan and lid with no plastic or other heat-sensitive fittings.
Oven Instructions
Preheat your oven to 170°C conventional / 150°C fan.
Prepare the pears and batter as instructed above, using a suitably sized oven-safe frying pan or a lined cake tin.
Spread the batter over the pears.
Bake for approximately 40-50 minutes, until the top is golden and the centre is cooked through.
Allow the cake to rest for 10 minutes before carefully turning it upside down onto a plate, revealing the caramelised pears and their buttery syrup.
Toast some almond flakes and sprinkle on top of the cake
Serving Suggestions
Best enjoyed warm, with the deliciously syrupy pears glistening on top and a little caramel running down the sides.
Lovely on its own, or with a generous spoonful of vegan custard or dairy-free cream.
Especially good after a long autumnal wander through the woods.
Recipe Notes
For an extra syrupy finish, reserve a few spoonfuls of the pear syrup before adding the batter. Gently rewarm it and pour it over the finished cake.
If you have more pears than will fit on the cake, enjoy the extras separately.
This is a proposed vegan recipe formulation. Exact cooking times and results, especially over a fire, can vary with the pan, heat and batter depth.