You will need for the Cake:

250 g softened butter
1 cup Caster Sugar
1 teaspoon Almond essence (optional)
1 cup Ground Almonds (100g)
1 ½ cups Plain Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
2 free range Eggs
700 g whole pears; then peeled, cored and thinly sliced

For the topping:

75g self raising flour
50g light brown sugar
30g Butter

Pre heat oven to 155c(fan oven) 175c normal oven.
Using a 22cms round spring form cake tin,
line base & line sides above tin height with baking paper then grease well.

In a bowl beat the caster sugar and softened butter until thick and creamy.
Add one at a time the eggs and the almond essence and continue beating.

Sift the flour, baking powder and ground almonds into the butter mixture and incorporate gently.
This will be a thick mixture.

Spoon about half the mixture evenly over the base of the tin.
Drop the peeled pears on top and gently press down into mixture.
Finish with the rest of the cake mixture, spreading evenly over the top.

Make the topping by mixing all the ingredients together until resembling breadcrumbs and spread evenly over the top.

Cook in oven for about 70 mins.