Pears and chocolate have always been a favored combination, and this luscious cake is absolute proof. Ultra-soft and slightly moist inside thanks to the melted chocolate, sour cream, and of course, lots of pear cubes, with a crunchy crust on the outside and plenty of hazelnuts. An incredibly easy dessert to prepare, perfect for serving in the fall.
I immediately took the chance to make it using Lucia’s pears, which she generously gives me every year, much to my delight. I instantly started thinking of all the recipes I could make with them… this is just the first one I’m sharing with you, but there will be more to follow! I can’t wait!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 12 slices
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
Ingredients
- 7 oz dark chocolate
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 pinches salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 pear
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
- 6 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 7 oz sour cream
- 2 oz hazelnuts (ground)
- 1 pear
- to taste toasted hazelnuts
Steps
To make the cake with pears and chocolate, finely chop the dark chocolate. Set 80g aside and melt the rest in a bowl in the microwave or over a double boiler.
Line the bottom of a cake tin (9-10 inch in diameter) with baking paper and preheat the oven to 350°F (static).
Mix the flour with cocoa, baking powder, salt, and ground ginger. Set aside.
Wash and peel the pear and cut it into cubes.
In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla sugar until they are light and fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while continuing to beat until fully incorporated. Then add the melted chocolate, incorporate, and also add the sour cream, beating until smooth.
Sift the flour and cocoa mixture directly into the egg and chocolate mixture, add the ground hazelnuts and the chopped chocolate that was set aside, and beat on low speed until smooth, without any traces of flour.
Pour the batter into the cake tin and spread evenly.
Wash and peel the second pear, remove the core and cut it into slices. Arrange the pear slices in a fan shape on the cake surface. Add some toasted hazelnuts.
Bake at 350°F for about 60 minutes, and do the toothpick test.
Remove your cake with pears and chocolate from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
