Looking up at the man I couldn’t help but have a quiet inward chuckle.
There he stood, poised, peaceful and completely in the moment. Sipping from his steaming mug, looking out over the morning sun lit park. Not once did he glance over to the hurrying mother of three, storming up the hill in an effort to get to school on time. Why would he? Bringing the cup slowly up to his lips with two gentle hands on either side, he was very much there, in his moment. His moment of stillness and quiet enjoyment.
Why did this man on the balcony strike me so much on a sunny day at the end of the week?
Because he was in complete contrast to my morning, actually my whole week. It had been a busy one and on this day, it had been my cup of tea that had paid the price. The first was inhaled at 5.35am, the ambitious second cup was then microwaved for an uninspiring four times.
You don’t microwave tea! I hear you exclaim. I know, but I did. I do sometimes. As far too often that beautifully made up pot of tea, has been poured and left on the bench as something more pressing needs my attention. Four times that cup had been microwaved, and when it needed a fifth go, I gave up. We had to leave anyway, and that’s when I saw that man on his balcony.
With his steaming mug of solitude and peacefulness.
***************
I have a far more complicated (similar) recipe in my head for this cake, however on days where you find yourself microwaving your tea… simple cooking is called for and a blender cake fits the bill.
Ginger Pear Cake
150g softened butter
150g brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp powdered ginger
2 eggs
2 peeled and cored soft pears*
75g glace ginger, roughly chopped
225g self raising flour
In a blender mix all ingredients together except flour and glace ginger. Pour wet mixture out into a bowl and fold through flour and roughly chopped ginger. Pop into a greased and lined cake tin and bake at 180C for about 40-50 minutes.
When cooled, dust with icing sugar and have with a mug of hot tea.
* In season at the moment if you live in Australia
cityhippyfarmgirl 
‘Tis a lovely post, Brydie. Lucky man with his moment of peace. Mothers don’t get that until the little ones are at school and the baby’s asleep. Then it’s a case of resisting the urge to clean the house, finding a good book and a delicious piece of pear cake, and a hot, fresh cup of tea, and sitting on the couch near the window where the sun shines in.. 🙂 xxx
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big sigh here Celia…my poor book is getting dusty these days. Maybe today.
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Gorgeous-looking cake Brydie! Loving your cake photography (including the amazing dotted meringue number from last week). Do you submit your photos to tastespotting or foodgawker? If not, your really should!
I can SO relate to this post. I confess to often placing a cup of lukewarm tea in the microwave, only to find another already sitting in there from the previous day.
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Saskia, any time you are up this way we should get to together for a cup of luke warm tea 🙂
Thanks for the lovely feed back on my photos, I don’t submit them to tastespotting or foodgawker. I do love taking the food pictures, (actually pics in general) so many things to learn!
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A lucky man indeed! Peaceful cups of tea are also a rarity in our house on a weekday morning… Thankfully it’s Sunday and I can sit quietly reading your lovely post with a deliciously hot cup of tea in my hand. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
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Weekends do thankfully have a ‘slightly’ slower pace which I am very thankful for. Hope you had a lovely weekend too.
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the contrasting image you created is magical brydie..the rush rush of a mother who loves her bairns but would also love a bit of quiet tea sipping staring into the distance balcony time..your pear cake photos are so pretty and i’m sure it tasted as good as it looks..x
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Thank you Jane. A very simple cake with gingery bits (although my kids all flung those chunks in my direction.) It also stays moist from the added pears…Nothing worse than a dry cake!
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We have the best intentions to actually drink that hot tea and yet somehow we never quite get there…..still alludes me how many times this can happen in one day! Another joy of motherhood we’ll look back on and smile about. My husband would LOVE that cake, thanks for sharing….hoping you get a moment to sit and drink that warm cuppa soon x
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So many best intentions Claudia 🙂 You’re so right though, it will be something else to look back on with a smile.
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Such a contrast Brydie and I understand. Sometimes I feel as a mother I have almost forgotten how to slow down. Just as Celia said when I do get a moment to myself I find I am even busier trying to make the most of every spare second! Your cake looks delicious and I love the little yellow and white plate. Enjoy your Sunday.
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Unfortunately slowing down has to be almost enforced at the moment. There are all the things that NEED to be done, and there are all the things I WANT to do. Generally an over supply of both.
That little plate is very special to me. It was my grandmothers, and I have matching coffee cups. Lovely Instagram people pointed out to me recently, that they were Denby and I’m absolutely thrilled that I can try and collect more.
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Dear Brydie. I am a ‘closet’ warmer up of tea in the microwave. It’s ok. There are a few of us out there.
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Jean good to hear….I suspect we are a quiet bunch.
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I wonder if he looked at you for a moment as you passed by and wished he had beautiful children to take somewhere- most people center their lives with the things they desire and then find to their regret that they somehow missed on things/people of real value. I heat up my tea in the microwave when I have forgotten it in the tasks of the moment. Great writing, Brydie- and the cake looks delish- I only have canned pears but I think they might work in this recipe.
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I think it would work Heidi with the canned pears. The pear taste is very subtle and mostly just brings a moistness to the cake, making it great for making ahead of time. And good to hear you are another warmer-upper of tea 🙂
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Love the cake. Love the microwaved tea – I have been known to do the same – though often I just drink tea cold in a few big gulps – hope the busy week was filled with giggles and hugs
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That looks YUM! I’m all for blender recipes. 🙂
And ahh… mindfulness is definitely something I could do with a bit more practice at too.
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Amber I keep going back to mindfulness. I KNOW I need it more in my life, but can’t seem to hold on to it as much as I would like.
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Some days a quick recipe is needed! Hope one morning soon you get to drink hot tea without the need for a microwave 🙂
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The only real reason we have a microwave is to reheat drinks. As long as you get a fresh one at some point, it’s ok 🙂
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I do rather dread the day where children lead me to microwave cups of tea. I have been known to microwave coffee, but only because a brief interruption took it away from optimum hotness. Four microwaves for tea? I shudder to think! This cake, hopefully, gave you a bit of peace as little mouths were full and yours could enjoy at leisure 🙂
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You just described my life! I am quite anti using the microwave but I find I have to do the same thing to my evening chamomile tea with raw honey because I am busy with Mr 5 and my newish baby . It’s so nice to be able to relate. Lovely cake by the way, I bake sweets weekly and sometimes more when we indulge.
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That’s a very early start to the day and at this time of year it’s pitch black too. I love to cook with crystallised ginger and I’m sure it would give this cake a delicious flavour. It looks so light! xx
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I think making a cake is always a triumph and fitting it into a busy day is an extra one. May I have a slice please and a cup of micro tea with you – sounds just lovely xx
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That cake has the perfect crumb!
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Looks delicious. As a fellow busy mother I too microwave tea and coffee only to find there’s no time to drink it even second time around.
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Delicious cake, and I’m sure it would whip up as quickly as a boiling kettle 🙂 Great contrast of points of view and perception too Brydie x
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Don’t feel too bad about microwaving the tea Brydie – I’ve done it too. And also never gotten to it and found it in the microwave at the end of the day. This cake sounds glorious – I adore ginger!
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I made this cake yesterday as I had 2 pears nearing their end in the fruitbowl and the last of a packet of crystalised ginger (from Christmas). Made into a loaf pan, cooked for about 45min and worked perfectly. So simple and delicious and tastes even better today, even with my reheated peppermint tea. Thanks.
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Christie that’s wonderful. Thank you for getting back to me and letting me know how it went….thank you 🙂
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I just made your cake and is already a quarter gone for breakfast. I didn’t have ginger bits so I grated some fresh stuff and added the powder as described. Fred made coffee and we sat momentarily in the Tasmanian sun and ate your cake. I really like the look of the chunks of ginger (on the shopping list for the next trip into town) and might even keep a few chunks of pear whole for the next one. Whats your more complicated version?
And even without children life is so busy that these quiet moments have to be carved out of our day… all the more reason to savour and strive for. I am beginning to like the taste of microwaved tea, it warms the cup up too (handwarmer- now a main function of tea living in Tassie). Although with the fresh milk from the dairy down the road the milk cooks on the top if I try and do it more than once.
Thank you. We loved it!
B x
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Lovely Bec. Thanks for painting that lovely picture for me. I love the image of you sitting in a Tassie wintery sun eating the cake…and envious of your dairy down the road!
For the more complicated version I was thinking, pastry base, frangipane/cake type middle still with the ginger chunks and sliced pear laid through the top, with a caramel sauce drizzled on top. Not sure…too much?
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No way too much. Sounds amazing! Give it a go and report back! We are going to bake another of these cakes this week with the proper ginger and I was thinking about leaving some chunks of pear in it as well. I am about to eat the last piece of the first cake for breakfast. Oh and by the way we had it for dinner last night as well with two pots of peppermint honey and sliced ginger tea. 🙂 Naughty but it was so indulgent.
The dairy is fantastic. The land surrounding our place is owned by that family and the moos all wander around the house and are the happiest cows I have ever met. The get a nice brush down with this cool machine on their way into the milking shed and look so content as they munch while being milked on the round about thing they use. We just fill up the bottles directly from the tank and ta da. Fresh milk. No treatment whatsoever for a buck a litre. (it only lasts a few days without being heat treated but is delicious).
Okay, off to do some gardening and trim the chooks wings before my bread is ready to bake. Freds family are coming down- the scallops have washed up on the beach and we have to go collect some more before they crawl back into Marion Bay. Then its lunch time. Have a wonderful Sunday.
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ps I tagged you in a photo of the cake on instagram. x
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My mum and dad have a full diner service of the ode china in your second photo. They got it as a wedding present. Is yours original or a vintage find?
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Richard that’s too funny as I only recently discovered this set again…well sort of. I’ve always used it, and loved it as it’s from my nana, so very sentimental- two mugs and two little plates. On instagram someone two weeks ago asked whether it was Denby… looking on the bottom, it was! I’d never looked and now I find out they are very collectable, and is a company that still produces. I was a bit excited! So any time you want to invite me over to quietly raid your parents kitchen cupboards, I’m ready 🙂
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Im making this cake for my daughter’s morning tea birthday party tomorrow (for the adults mainly – because they are less likely to want to eat a pink Peppa Pig cake). This must be the fifth time Ive made this cake Brydie – just wanted to let you know we love it here!!
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Erin, that’s so wonderful. I’m so pleased it’s been a good cake for you and your family. Happy Birthday to your little one tomorrow.
(and a big thank you for letting me know!)
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I am about to make this cake, yet again. 🙂
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I was looking at some pears yesterday and was thinking the same thing Rebecca 🙂
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