Chocolate Pear Cake

01/21/2008, tags: dessert, world food, chocolate, pear

It has been a busy week - it began with the big Winter Sales in France (a national event here) ; a few days later we celebrated Pierre's birthday on 11th... went for a simple lunch at our favorite local Chinese restaurant, Jardin des Bambous. It serves authentic Chinese cuisine and I took the opportunity to give Pierre his surprise gift : Ratchet & Clank which he wasted no time in setting it up to play once he got home.;-) Can't blame him, this game is rather fun. Well, not as fun as Morrowind - then again, it's totally different game. Then we celebrated my birthday.:-) This time around, my parents-in-law were in town and looked after Little One for us while we went out for a nice candle light dinner at a nice brasserie Danièle Bath. I had the most delicious cannette au miel and Pierre had some encornet sauté sauce chorizo (squid) that sends you to heaven once you have a spoonful of it. We are definitely heading back there again.:-)

Here's a recipe that I have put together myself. When I made this cake, I had the delicious Pear Belle-Hélène (Poire Belle Hélène) in mind - a classic dessert with chocolate ice cream and a half pear. It turned out nicely except I would make it slightly differently next time. I have made the necessary modifications below.

Chocolate Pear Cake
Ingredients
  • 3 or 4 pears (peeled and halved)
  • 2 eggs (separate yolk and whites)
  • 200 g sugar
  • 90 g apple sauce
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 40 - 50 g powdered cocoa (unsweetened)
  • 90 ml or 9 cl fresh milk
  • 113 g butter (softened)
  • 105 g plain flour
  • a dash of nutmeg
Chocolate Pear Cake Ingredients
Directions
  1. Butter a 9" springform cake tin or lined it with baking paper.
  2. Mix sugar and softened butter and whip until it is light and fluffy.
  3. Add in egg yolks and mix till combined.
  4. Add the vanilla extract.
  5. Stir in the cocoa slowly.
  6. Stir in the flour, baking powder and nutmeg.
  7. Mix in the milk.
  8. Whip the egg white until stiff and then delicately fold the egg white into the batter.
  9. Spoon the batter into the cake tin and smoothen the top.
  10. Peel, cut into half and take out the core. Place each half of the pear opposite the other on top of the batter. Do not press the pear into the batter.
  11. Bake in the over at 175°C (350°F) for about 30 to 40 minutes. The toothpick should come out not completely clean. This makes the cake a little bit moist. If it is still too wet, bake it for another 10 to 15 minutes.
The Verdict

As expected, the pear and chocolate flavour go well together, fruity and strong at the same time. The pear makes the cake more moist than usual, so the texture sometimes reminds me of a brownie.

Notes

The above baking time is an estimation for a 9" baking pan. My original recipe in a 8" baking tin needed about 55 minutes to bake. And with a 9" baking pan, the pear should show up (unlike mine which sank like the Titanic).

Chocolate Pear CakeChocolate Pear Cake
27 comments.
#1, par lotsofcravings (01/22/2008)

ohh lala..this looks scrumptious..sad to say..i havent had anything like that b4..must give it a try the next time i see it at a dessert place!

#2, par keeyit (01/22/2008)

Love it !!

#3, par Kevin (01/22/2008)

Pear and chocolate sounds like an interesting combo. I will have to try it. That shot of the slice with the pear in the middle looks really good!

#4, par Little Corner of Mine (01/22/2008)

Looks delicious!!

#5, par Peter (01/22/2008)

Chocolate and pears are a pair! I wish you posted more often as your dishes are very appetizing.

#6, par teczcape - an escape to food (01/22/2008)

I thought you were making tiramisu or similar - when I saw the first pix! :P

Happy shopping and eating, and celebrating.

#7, par The Cooking Ninja (01/22/2008)

@lotsofcraving: erhm...I don't think you can find Chocolate Pear cake in the market because it's my own creation:-p

@Keeyit:;-)

@Kevin: Thanks. Oh ... I have another interesting combo lined up to be published. I made it for Pierre's birthday. So don't forget to tune in.;-)

@Little Corner of Mine: Oh it is:-) Moist and fruity.

@Peter: Sorry I haven't been posting as frequent as I used to. I'm trying to get back on track. I'm still trying to get used to our new house and the kitchen. Then my little daughter always fights with me for my pc. hehehe Every time she sees me at my pc, she will squeeze herself in front of it and start asking for her ABC song.:-p

@teczcape: hehehe...now that you mentioned it, it does look like I'm making tiramisu indeed.;-)

#8, par Maryann (01/22/2008)

A very happy birthday wish for you! The cake looks delicious:-)

#9, par Cakespy (01/23/2008)

That looks pretty darn good! I must say, I really do like the combination of pear and chocolate. It's kind of a new development, but it's an acquired taste that I have come to love.

#10, par teckiee (01/23/2008)

ohhh nice. I like the fact that the cake is moist with chocolate. What kind of pear did you use?

#11, par Ling's Passion (01/23/2008)

It never cross my mind to combine pear with chocolate. This cake looks yummy...

#12, par KJ (01/23/2008)

oh my goodness this looks good. Pear and chocolate is such a divine combination.

#13, par The Cooking Ninja (01/23/2008)

@Maryann: Thanks Maryann.:-)

@Cakespy: If I haven't been living in France, I would have never tasted Pear Belle Hélène and made this cake.:-)

@teckiee: The pears I used were Abate Pear but you can replace it with Pear William.

@Ling's Passion: Now you got me thinking about strawberry and chocolate...yummy. Now I have to wait till summer to try it out. Fresh delicious strawberries.

@KJ: Thanks:-)

#14, par Patricia Scarpin (01/23/2008)

I have never tried chocolate and pears together... Yum!

#15, par Lori (01/23/2008)

I've just been catching up on your posts. But it is making me too hungry! The cake looks amazing!! (And so does that pork dish you made the other day.)

#16, par Cynthia (01/24/2008)

This is the kind of cake that some people would want to have as a part of their last meal on earth:-)

#17, par Sylvia (01/24/2008)

Chocolate and pears are the perfect combination.My favorite dessert is the old and good Poires Belle Helene, with this I said everything....I must try this recipe that looks so, so delicious

#18, par wokandspoon@gmail.com (01/24/2008)

Mmmm, this looks lovely!! The fruit justifies eating all that chocolate! hehe.

#19, par Lynn (01/25/2008)

Your cake looks delightful! Happy birthdays all around!

#20, par ovenhaven (01/25/2008)

Happy belated birthday! I never knew chocolate and pear went well together; I've got to try my hands on this combo. Your cake looks very moist:-)

#21, par Coffee and Vanilla (01/25/2008)

Pamela,

It looks delicious!!
I have some pears so I may even try it out this weekend:-)

Margot

#22, par Tyree White (01/28/2008)

chocolate and pears? looks good, I would sure give it a try.

#23, par aria (02/01/2008)

oh i KNOW this is delicious! i once made a chocolate tart with poached pears chilled into it and the pears were so juicy and refreshing against the chocolate. i can tell this recipe is devine

#24, par Nora (02/04/2008)

Happy Belated Birthday to both of you! Glad that you both had such wonderful meals on your special days.

This sounds and looks deliciously moist. I've always loved the combo of choc and pear (& almonds). I will definite try this when I have some ripe pears on hand.

#25, par Ani (02/15/2008)

A similar recipe was on Nigella's new Food Network show recently.

#26, par Laurel (03/17/2008)

I love the sound of this cake, how many people does it serve? x

#27, par The Cooking Ninja (03/18/2008)

@Laurel: This cakes serves 6 - 8 people.:-)

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