Autumn Pear / Apple Pudding Cake

Choose pears or apples, if you pick pears use the ginger, for apples use the cinnamon.

There are two parts to this recipe, the cake and the topping.

To make the cake: Lightly grease an 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan.

Place the fruit in the pan, and sprinkle it with the lemon juice.

In a medium-sized bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, baking powder, spice, and salt till smooth.

Beat in the egg, then add the flour alternately with the milk (1/2 cup flour, the milk, remaining 1/2 cup flour), beating after each addition.

Spoon the batter over the fruit in the pan, spreading it to mostly cover.

To make the topping: Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and spice.

Sprinkle this mixture over the batter, then carefully pour the hot water over all.

It will puddle on top; that’s OK.

Bake the cake in a preheated 375°F oven for about 60 minutes, until it’s nicely browned on the top.

Remove it from the oven, and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Yield: 8 to 9 servings.