Can I Use Canned Pears For The Pear Pistachio And Rose Cake?

Our answer

Nigella's Pear, Pistachio And Rose Cake (from AT MY TABLE) is a moist and fragrant gluten-free cake that is wonderful as a dessert or equally satisfying with a cup of tea. The cake uses chunks of fresh pear that are blended into the batter with a food processor.

Nigella mentions that the pears should be firm and not be too ripe. Unfortunately, we think that canned pears would not be suitable as an alternative as they are too soft and contain too much liquid. This will make it difficult to bake the cake properly and it could well be wet, rather than damp, in the centre. We would prefer to wait for early season fresh pears to be available. Instead use canned pears for the Pears Belle Helene or Chocolate Pear Pudding (not gluten free). To search for gluten free cakes on Nigella.com, use the "Gluten Free" button in the "Refine Your Search" function to filter for gluten-free recipes.