Put the chopped dates in a pan with the milk, butter, ginger jam and dark

muscovado sugar. Heat gently until the butter has melted and the mixture

starts to bubble round the edge of the pan. Stir well and cool for 1 hour.

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line the base of a buttered 23cm

springform tin with baking parchment.

• Peel and chop the pears into large chunks.

• Mix the flour, chopped pecans, and bicarb with the spices, then stir in the

cooled date mixture and the beaten eggs. Stir in the chopped pears.

• Pour into the tin and scatter the roughly broken reserved pecans on top.

• Bake for 40 mins, then cover the top loosely with foil and return to the oven

for a further 25-30 mins more, until a skewer inserted into the middle

comes out with just sticky crumbs. The cake may look a little wet around

the pears.

• Make the syrup by dissolving the light muscovado sugar in a pan with 50ml

of water until syrupy, add the alcohol and set aside.

• Drizzle the syrup over the warm cake to serve as an alternative to sticky

toffee pudding with cream or ice cream