Spiced Chocolate Pear Cake

AuthorSylvieCategory, , DifficultyIntermediate

Chocolate and pears are a beautiful match! This is a rich yet light chocolate cake flavored and topped with spiced poached pears. It is easy to prepare, incredibly delicious, and perfectly spiced. Perfect for your winter baking.

Yields8 Servings
Prep Time20 minsCook Time1 hr 5 minsTotal Time1 hr 25 mins
Spiced Poached Pears
 3 medium ripe pears
 5 cups water
 3 tbsp Panela or brown sugar
 2 ½ tbsp lemon juice
 1 small cinnamon stick
 3 star anise
 8 cloves
Chocolate Cake
 180 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (plus more for brushing the pan)
 Cocoa powder for dusting the pan
 200 g 70% dark chocolate, chopped
  cup full fat milk, heated
 ½ cup Panela or brown sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
 5 eggs, at room temperature
 2 ½ tsp vanilla extract
 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
 2 tsp baking powder
 2 pinches of salt
 2 tsp ground cinnamon
 2 tbsp Chopped almonds
1

Peel the pears, half them, and remove their cores. Place them in a medium pot, along with the water, sugar, lemon, and spices. Bring it to a simmer and let the pears poach for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are soft yet still hard enough to cut.

2

Remove the pears, and place them on a kitchen towel to dry and slightly cool. Make sure you dry them very well before using them in the cake.

3

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line the bottom of a circular 19cm cake pan with parchment paper, brush its sides with melted butter, and dust them with cocoa powder.

4

Place the chopped dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, pour in the hot milk, stir with a spatula, and cover the bowl for few minutes. Uncover the bowl, and stir the chocolate until it melts. If it doesn't melt, do it in a double boiler.

5

In a large bowl, mix the melted butter with the sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and whisk well. Pour in the melted chocolate, and whisk until fully incorporated.

6

Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Mix using a whisk or spatula, until you have a homogenous smooth batter.

7

Chop 3 pear halves very finely, and fold them into the batter. As for the other pear halves, cut long strips into them without cutting all the way through. This way you preserve their beautiful shape.

8

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, carefully arrange the pear halves, and scatter the chopped almonds on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 Minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Start checking after 40 minutes. If you are using a bigger cake pan, it will take less time.

9

Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before serving it. Enjoy a slice with coffee or tea!

Ingredients

Spiced Poached Pears
 3 medium ripe pears
 5 cups water
 3 tbsp Panela or brown sugar
 2 ½ tbsp lemon juice
 1 small cinnamon stick
 3 star anise
 8 cloves
Chocolate Cake
 180 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (plus more for brushing the pan)
 Cocoa powder for dusting the pan
 200 g 70% dark chocolate, chopped
  cup full fat milk, heated
 ½ cup Panela or brown sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
 5 eggs, at room temperature
 2 ½ tsp vanilla extract
 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
 2 tsp baking powder
 2 pinches of salt
 2 tsp ground cinnamon
 2 tbsp Chopped almonds

Directions

1

Peel the pears, half them, and remove their cores. Place them in a medium pot, along with the water, sugar, lemon, and spices. Bring it to a simmer and let the pears poach for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are soft yet still hard enough to cut.

2

Remove the pears, and place them on a kitchen towel to dry and slightly cool. Make sure you dry them very well before using them in the cake.

3

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line the bottom of a circular 19cm cake pan with parchment paper, brush its sides with melted butter, and dust them with cocoa powder.

4

Place the chopped dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, pour in the hot milk, stir with a spatula, and cover the bowl for few minutes. Uncover the bowl, and stir the chocolate until it melts. If it doesn't melt, do it in a double boiler.

5

In a large bowl, mix the melted butter with the sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and whisk well. Pour in the melted chocolate, and whisk until fully incorporated.

6

Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Mix using a whisk or spatula, until you have a homogenous smooth batter.

7

Chop 3 pear halves very finely, and fold them into the batter. As for the other pear halves, cut long strips into them without cutting all the way through. This way you preserve their beautiful shape.

8

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, carefully arrange the pear halves, and scatter the chopped almonds on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 Minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Start checking after 40 minutes. If you are using a bigger cake pan, it will take less time.

9

Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before serving it. Enjoy a slice with coffee or tea!

Spiced Chocolate Pear Cake
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