Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.

Step 2

Use a large baking dish / baking tin, and lightly grease with margarine / coconut oil, then dust with flour.

Step 3

Put the dates in the hot water, leaving to soak for 10 minutes.

Step 4

Meanwhile, start making the rest of the dessert. In a mixing bowl combine the margarine / coconut oil, sugar, ginger and vanilla.

Step 5

Add the bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice.

Step 6

Fold in the flour and non-dairy milk a bit at a time.

Step 7

Blend the dates with water until they form a thick puree. Then mix into the pudding mixture.

Step 8

Wash and peel the pears. Cut each pear in half then slice long ways going around the half pear so you have a fan shape (see photo).

Step 9

Take the slices from 2 of the pears and arrange in a fan shape at the bottom of the baking dish, with the thinner end in the middle.

Step 10

Pour the cake mixture in the baking dish, covering the pears. Pour carefully so as not to change the position of the pears that have been evenly spaced out.

Step 11

Then take the slices from the final pear and put in a fan on the top of the cake mixture, again with the thinner end in the middle.

Step 12

Bake for around 30-35 minutes. Before taking the dish out, check it has cooked through using a skewer. Cook for longer if needed. The skewer should come out pretty much clean.

Step 13

Once done pour half of the toffee sauce over the whole dish. Use the rest of the sauce as extra to pour on each portion once served.

Step 14

Place sugar and coconut milk in a heavy-based saucepan. Stirring or whisking continuously, bring to the boil on a medium heat. Once boiled, turn down the heat.

Step 15

Let the sugar and coconut milk thicken on this low heat, stirring or whisking as much as possible. This may take around 10-15 minutes. It will be ready when it is a caramel consistency.

Step 16

Once it is cooled, it can be stored in an airtight container or jar in the fridge (if it doesn’t get eaten immediately!).