With the nights drawing in, we turn to comfort food. Cue poached fruits and mini bakes…

As jacket weather arrives, we look for more hearty, comforting food from breakfast all the way through to dessert. These individual mini pecan cakes served with a poached pear are the perfect example: simple, comforting and tasty. Can’t complain.

Poached pear and pecan minis

If you don’t have any small tins, bake the cake in a 28 x 35cm baking tray. When the pears are poached, slice them into thin pieces and scatter over the sponge. Whip the cream to soft peaks and serve alongside the cake.

Prep 40 min

Cook 1 hr

Serves 4

For the cake

4 eggs

250ml vegetable oil

300g pumpkin puree

250g self-raising flour

2 tsp ground mixed spice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp grated nutmeg

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

250g light muscovado sugar

100g pecans, chopped

100g raisins

For the pears

600g golden caster sugar

1 cinnamon stick

4 strips lemon peel

3 cloves

1 vanilla pod, split lengthways

2-3cm fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

4 ripe pears, peeled

For the cream

200ml double cream

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

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Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and grease and line four deep, 10cm round cake tins with baking paper.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, add the vegetable oil, whisk, then add the pumpkin puree and whisk again. Sift the flour, spices and bicarbonate of soda into a separate bowl, add the sugar and stir.

Add the dry mix to the wet, whisk until incorporated, then fold in the nuts and raisins. Divide the mix between the tins and bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool. Once cooled, flip them out and set aside.

For the poached pears, put all the ingredients apart from the pears in a pan just big enough to hold the pears upright. Half fill the pan with water, bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Drop the pears into the pan, cover and gently poach for 20 minutes, or until soft. Turn off the heat and set aside – don’t discard the syrupy water.

Mix the cream, maple syrup, vanilla and three tablespoons of the syrupy water in a bowl, then put in the fridge until ready to use.

To assemble the cakes, use a cookie cutter to make a 1.5cm-deep circular hole in the centre of each cake, then, with a spoon, remove enough cake for a pear to sit comfortably and proudly. Put each cake on a serving plate, carefully put a pear in the centre hole of each one, then pour the cream over the top and serve.