Chocolate Pear Cake

There’s something about adding fresh fruit to a cake that instantly makes it seem healthier and more up market. Pears and chocolate go hand in hand with the pears helping to keep moisture in the sponge giving it a fudgy texture. A drizzle of ganache over the top finishes the cake off without the need for a thick layer of icing.

This cake is a great standby to have in the fridge. It’s delicious with a coffee or as a dessert…

You can use fresh or tinned pears, dark or milk chocolate depending on your taste and what you have available.

Chocolate Pear Cake

Makes 8 pieces

Cake

4 pears

150g soft butter

150g caster sugar

150g SR flour

50g cocoa powder

100ml boiling water

3 eggs

Drizzle

50g 70% dark chocolate

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp double cream

  1. Line the bottom of a 20cm cake tin with baking parchment.
  2. Pre heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4.
  3. Peel, quarter and core the pears, arrange core side up around the bottom of the cake tin.
  4. Mix the cocoa powder and boiling water together to make a paste.
  5. Put the butter, sugar, flour, cocoa and eggs into a bowl, beat well to combine.
  6. Spoon over the pears, level the top and bake for 30 to 40 mins, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
  7. Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out.
  8. Make the drizzle: melt the chocolate with the maple syrup, once melted, stir in the cream.
  9. Once the cake is cool, drizzle over the chocolate sauce.
An image of pear quarters arranged around the bottom of a cake tin
An image of cake ingredients ready to mix
An image of beaten chocolate cake mix
An image of chocolate cake mixture blobbed over pear quarters in a cake tin.