Start by peeling, coring and roughly chopping the pears into cubes. Squeeze over the lemon juice to stop them from discolouring and add in the liqueur if using and put aside. Line a 22cm spring bottomed cake tin with non-stick baking paper and brush with a little olive oil. Place the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and sugar in a bowl and gently mix in the olive oil and beaten eggs. Finally, fold in the pears and any juices and pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds and bake in the oven at 180`c for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down completely before serving dusted with icing sugar.

Suggested wine: Fontanafredda Moscato D’Asti
This is a wine for celebrations, and is ideal with all desserts. The fragrance of its aroma, which comes direct from the grapes, imbues this wine with an intense nose of musk, locust and orange flowers, sage and honey, and the lingering of its carefree flavour brings out the brightest of spirits. The warmth arid light that the sun has shed on the vineyards are reproduced in the glass, where this clear, straw-yellow wine has a pleasantly sweet taste that is very well-balanced and features honey and just-picked grapes.