Peel the pears and trim the base of the pears so that they will stand up straight. Arrange the pears in a medium saucepan that fits the pears snuggly. Add the ginger beer, apple juice, sugar, cinnamon sticks, sliced ginger, and lemon juice to the saucepan. Gently stir to combine the ingredients.
Make a cartouche, or parchment paper cover, for the pears. Cut out a circle of parchment paper to fit on top of the pears. Fold into quarters and snip a small hole in the centre. Unfold and then place on top of the pears. Cover with a lid and place over medium high heat.
Bring the poaching liquid to a gentle simmer and then turn down the heat to maintain the simmer on low. Cook the pears just until they are tender and a paring knife pierces the fruit easily, about 40 minutes. Do not overcook the pears. Carefully remove the pears from the liquid and stand upright on a plate to cool.
Ginger Beer Poached Pear Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 10" springform pan with parchment paper. Spray the pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, and vegetable oil. Add the golden syrup and grated fresh ginger and whisk together until smooth. Add the ginger beer and stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to mixing bowl and whisk just until combined.
Arrange the poached pears in the prepared pan. Carefully pour the batter around the pears, moving them back into position if they move. If desired, you can wrap the pear stems in a little piece of foil to protect them from burning while baking.
Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes until done and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Run a knife around the cake to loosen it from the pan. Let cool for 5 minutes then remove the sides of the springform pan. Let cool completely.
To serve, whip the cream. Combine the whipping cream and sugar in a mixer and whip until it forms soft peaks. Slice the cake and serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!