You may need to make a little extra syrup  to drizzle over the top as the cake will suck up most of it when cooking. Also, use a spatula dipped in water  to smooth the batter over the pears.

Chocolate Pear Cake

Pears

80g butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 small small pears, peeled, halved and cored

Cake

185g butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

2 cups self-raising flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

Place the butter, sugar and water in a frying pan over medium heat and stir until the butter has melted.

Add the pears to the pan, cut-side down, and cook for 2 minutes.

Place the pears, cut-side down, in a 23cm round cake tin that has been side and base-lined with non-stick backing paper.

Pour over the syrup and set aside.

Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat well.

Sift the flour and cocoa over the mixture and stir through.

Spoon the mixture over the pears in the tin.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.

Eat warm with ice-cream.