Grease and flour a 1-quart baking pan or heatproof casserole.

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda, ginger, cardamom, salt, currants or raisins, and almonds. Stir in pears. In a measuring cup, combine juice and syrup. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Pour batter into baking pan. Cover and wrap tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to tuck ends under bottom of pan.

Place rack or trivet in bottom of pressure cooker. Pour in boiling water. Lower baking pan into cooker and set on rack. (Be sure there's a 1/2-inch space between pressure cooker and edge of casserole.) Lock lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Lower heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook 25 minutes (30 minutes if you're using a casserole dish instead of a baking pan).

Allow pressure to come down naturally for 15 minutes. If after 15 minutes pressure is not released, use a quick-release method to release lid). Remove lid.

Lift baking pan out of cooker. Remove foil and set pan on rack to cool. Unmold cake or serve from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.

Helpful Hint: To lift baking pan or casserole in and out of cooker, cut a piece of aluminum foil 2 feet long by 1 foot wide; fold it twice lengthwise. Center casserole on strip and use ends of strip to lower cassrole into cooker. Fold ends of foil strip over top of casserole. Use ends of strip to lift casserole out of cooker.

Per serving: 307 calories; 5g protein; 5g fat; 39g carbohydrate; 0 cholesterol;

191 mg sodium; 6g fiber.