Preheat oven to 175 °C fan bake, and grease the sides and base of a 24 cm cake tin (I use this macadamia oil).
Slice one of your pears thinly and arrange it in the base of the tin, then chop the remaining pears into 1cm chunks and set aside.
Grind almonds in a blender to a flour, pour into a large bowl, then sift remaining dry ingredients on top and stir to combine.
Blend wet ingredients in the blender until frothy, then pour onto dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined with a few flour flecks remaining.
Fold through pears and dates gently until just combined (don't over mix so your cake stays nice and fluffy), then spoon dollops of the mixture into the tin taking care not to disturb your pear arrangement. Spread the top out flat with a spatula.
Bake for 35 minutes until the top springs back when touched and a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn upside down onto a wire rack and carefully remove the base. Leave to cool before slicing (especially if using the GF flour mix - it binds on cooling).
Sprinkled with desiccated coconut and chopped almonds if desired, then slice and enjoy with a generous dollop of coconut cream, coconut yoghurt or my Coconut Cashew Chia Cream or Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (my favourites!).