The pear goes into the batter in small cubes rather than slices on top, which does two things: it distributes the fruit evenly through every slice, and it keeps the surface of the cake free for decoration. The chocolate batter itself is dense and moist, closer to a brownie in texture than a standard sponge; the kind of crumb that makes a cake feel substantial rather than merely sweet. The pear inside adds a softness and a faint sweetness that the chocolate needs without overwhelming it.
For two people, a 6-inch springform is the right call; a cake that produces four proper wedges without the commitment of a standard tin. Serve it as afternoon tea or coffee cake, or warm it slightly and eat it after dinner. It is equally good at both ends of the day.
The consistency of this Chocolate Pear Cake is rather dense, like fudgy brownie. Almost the opposite of this Chocolate Angel Food Cupcakes.
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Key Ingredient in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Dark chocolate
- Espresso coffee powder
- Butter
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Eggs
- Cinnamon
- All-purpose flour
- Pear – I used an Anjou pear, because it is still firm when ripe and thus the pear cubes stay in-tact during baking, rather than being cooked to mush.
- Cocoa powder
How to Make Chocolate Pear Cake
- Step 1 – Melt the chocolate + espresso coffee powder (brings out the chocolate flavor). Allow to cool a little.
- Step 2 – Beat the butter with a mixer until soft and add the confectioner’s sugar, little by little. Then add the 3 egg yolks, cinnamon, salt and melted chocolate.
- Step 3 – Whip the egg whites stiff.
- Step 4 – Fold egg whites and flour alternately into the butter-chocolate mixture. Don’t overdo it, but make sure your end-result is well-mixed and there are no dry patches.
- Step 5 – Add pear pieces (1/4-1/2 inch cubes) and fold into batter.
- Step 6 – Butter a 6-inch pie pan and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Shake excess crumbs out of cake pan. Transfer batter into the cake pan and level the top.
- Bake for approx. 50 minutes in a 350°F oven or until a toothpick comes out dry.
- Decorate the cake
Enjoy this cake and let me know what you think. I love to hear from you.
Chocolate Pear Cake
Pin Recipe Facebook Share by TextIngredients
- 2.6 ounces dark chocolate
- 1/4 teaspoon espresso coffee powder
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 8 ounces pear, ripe and firm
Decoration
- confectioner’s sugar
- cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Separate the eggs (1 egg white will not be used). Peel and cut the pear in 1/4-1/2 inch cubes. Butter 6-inch pie pan and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Shake excess crumbs out of cake pan.
- Chop the chocolate in small pieces and melt in together with the espresso coffee powder au-bain-marie or in the microwave. Cool just a little.
- Beat the butter with a mixer until soft and add the confectioner’s sugar, little by little. Then add the 3 egg yolks, cinnamon, salt and melted chocolate.
- Whisk 2 egg whites stiff.
- Fold egg whites and flour alternately into the butter-chocolate mixture. Don’t overdo it, but make sure your end-result is well-mixed.
- Mix in the pear pieces.
- Transfer batter into the cake pan and level as much as you can.
- Bake cake approx. 50 minutes. Test with a toothpick; the inside of the cake should be dry.
- Remove from oven, take out of cake pan and cool complete on wire rack.
- Dust with confectioner’s sugar and then with cocoa powder.
Notes
- Butter and eggs need to be at room temperature.
- 2.6 oz. chocolate is 2 bars (most brands). I used 70% dark chocolate
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.