A decadent vegan cake for the Christmas table that can be made ahead of time

My friend, the pastry chef Henrietta Inman, showed me how to make a galette last spring, and I’ve not stopped making them since. Not only does it use mostly storecupboard ingredients, but you can use it as a template, throw virtually any fruit into it and whip it up without much fuss (or baking smarts). Here, I’ve used pears, almonds and chocolate because, together, they perform as tightly as the three wise men. The biggest joy of all, however, is that despite its simplicity, it is still very pretty, very naughty and very nice.

Play Video 2:05 Anna Jones and Meera Sodha’s vegetarian Christmas dinner - video

Pear, chocolate and almond galette

Add some spices into the almond mixture, if you like. Some ground cardamom would be delicious, as would ginger and/or cinnamon. You can make this ahead and warm it up in the oven just before serving.

Prep 35 min

Chill 30 min

Cook 40 min

Serves 8

For the pastry

260g plain flour, plus 1 tbsp extra

130g sunflower spread – I like Biona’s

40g caster sugar

Salt

For the chocolate frangipane

100g sunflower spread

75g caster sugar, plus ½ tbsp extra

120g ground almonds

1 tbsp plain flour

1 pinch salt

1½ tsp vanilla extract – I use Neilsen Massey

75g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

4 conference pears, washed

Icing sugar, to decorate

Dairy-free creme fraiche, to serve – I like Oatly

Heat the oven to 190C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and get ready a large, flat baking tray on which to put your galette.

For the pastry, put the flour, sunflower spread, sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl, and mix with your fingertips until it’s the consistency of breadcrumbs. Add two tablespoons of cold water, then rub the spread into the flour with the back of the spoon, until it comes together into a dough. Bring into a ball with your hands, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Now for the frangipane: cream the sunflower spread and 75g sugar, then mix in the almonds, flour, salt and vanilla.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water (make sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water), then tip into the almond mixture and stir to combine.

Cut the pears in half, then each half into 1cm slices lengthways.

Working quickly, line a work surface with greaseproof paper, roll outthe pastry into a 26-28cm round, then spread the frangipane on top, leaving a 4cm border around the edge. Lay the pear slices on top in overlapping concentric circles, moving from the outside of the pastry to the inside, then fold the sides of the pastry up and over the fruit. Sprinkle with the remaining half-tablespoon of sugar, then slide the galette on to the baking tray and bake for 40 minutes, turning once halfway, until the crust is a deep golden brown.

Dust with icing sugar just before serving, and serve each portion with a generous dollop of creme fraiche.

Fiona Beckett’s wine pairing suggestion

A sweet red wine like Andrew Quady’s rose-scented Elysium Black Muscat (£10.99 a half-bottle on the mix-six deal Majestic, 15%) would be better than a sweet white here, or even a chilled glass of young ruby port.

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