We received this recipe from a regular to the cellar door who quoted “Not Quiet Nigella” as her inspiration. With a quince tree in her garden weighed down with fruit, the simple addition of her home made quince paste added a delicious twist to the “Easy Pear Cake” and made the perfect accompaniment to our Cane Cut Chenin Blanc dessert wine at her recent dinner party.

3/4 cup self raising flour
3/4 cup caster or superfine sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
125g/4ozs melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
200 grams of pre boiled quince pieces or quince paste
400g/14ozs. fresh pears or apples, diced
2 tablespoons cinnamon or vanilla sugar
Icing sugar to serve (optional)

Step 1 – Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease and line an 20cm/8inch springform tin with parchment paper.

Step 2 – Mix the two flours, sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in a bowl. Press three quarters of the mix into the base of the tin-it will be like a sticky, buttery dough. Spread quince pieces or quince paste over the dough and then scatter the diced pears or apples on top. Then place small pieces of the dough on it in a patchwork pattern so that the pear is not entirely covered up. Sprinkle with cinnamon or vanilla sugar. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Sieve some icing sugar on top. Allow to cool before slicing as it is very delicate when warm. Enjoy with double cream or vanilla icecream and a glass of Cape Grace’s Cane Cut Chenin Blanc.

We may even try poaching some quince in the Cane Cut Chenin Blanc and then reducing the syrup to serve as a warm accompaniment. Hello delicious!