This delicious Chocolate Pear Cake is a bit unusual, but the combination does go together very well. You can use either chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, whichever is easier, and the coarse sugar is not necessary but does add a nice bit of crunch on the crust. You’ll need two large eggs for this recipe.
We talk you through making this recipe on Episode 222 of our podcast. If you like this cake you may also enjoy our recipes for Baked Apple Pudding and Rhubarb Custard Cake.
Ingredients
2 large ripe pears
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten free 1-1 flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk or plant milk of choice
4 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chips or finely chopped
2 tablespoons raw or demerara sugar, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch spring-form cake pan. Set aside.
To prepare the pears, peel them, if desired. Cut in half and remove the core. Dice one pear into small cubes. Thinly slice the other pear lengthwise. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs for several minutes, or until lighter in color. Whisk in the baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract. Using a spatula, stir in the flour, cocoa powder, and milk. Mix until the batter is smooth and uniform. Fold in the cubed pear and chopped chocolate.
Pour batter into the prepared baking dish. Top batter with the sliced pear. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Run a knife around the edges and allow to cool completely. You can remove the springform at any time, but if you’re going to chill the cake before serving it’s easier to leave it in the pan.
