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Autumn & Winter · Cakes & Muffins

Chocolate Spiced Pear Cake

Recipe by Nigel Clease Kitchen-tested
Autumn & Winter 3 min read

A moist chocolate sponge filled with whisky-poached pears and warming spices, perfect for cosy autumn and winter baking.

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Chocolate Spiced Pear Cake – preparation step 3
Reliable Kitchen-tested instructions
Practical Clear timings and measurements
Helpful Tips, storage and variations

The recipe, step by step

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This chocolate spiced pear cake is a real winner, light, moist and chocolaty. Full of autumn flavours, the pears are infused in a poaching liquid of vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, turmeric and whisky.

It is not necessary to poach the pears if you really don’t want to make the extra effort, but I find the flavours comforting. They remind me of winter, sitting by the fire with a hot toddy. And this poaching liquid is a little different as it includes the addition of a few extra ingredients, not normally found in hot toddy but they compliment the pears really well.

If you decide to give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment below and rate it – it’s really helpful to me and other readers to know what you think! And don’t forget to take a picture and tag me @thegourmetlarder or hashtag it #thegourmetlarder on Instagram or Facebook. I love seeing what you’ve been baking! 🙂

INGREDIENTS

For this recipe, which also includes a chocolate sauce you will need these ingredients:

  • Pears
  • Whisky
  • Cinnamon stick
  • Cloves
  • Ground ginger
  • Ground turmeric
  • Brown sugar
  • Plain or all-purpose flour (BL55)
  • Cocoa powder
  • Baking soda
  • Baking powder
  • Neutral-tasting oil (vegetable or sunflower)
  • Caster sugar or granulated white sugar
  • Egg
  • Milk
  • Cream
  • Salt – I highly recommend adding a good pinch of salt to your cakes. It might seem a bit weird, but it actually has the incredible ability to enhance sweetness, suppress bitterness, and elevate the flavour of all the ingredients, making your cake taste even better. It’s pretty crazy, the sodium in the salt sends signals to move glucose into your tongue’s sweet taste receptors, making the sweetness really pop. So, don’t be afraid to sprinkle a little salt – it’ll take your cakes to the next level!
Millionaire’s Biscoff Bars – preparation step 9
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EQUIPMENT SUGGESTIONS

This small pan is a great size for boiling small amounts of liquids and it has pouring lips built into the rim of the saucepan which makes it easy to use.

I like this size of pan for making jams etc..

Perfect for banana bread, lemon drizzle, pound cake and traditional loaves.

NUTRITION

Serving: one cake slice

I have provided some nutrition information as a guide. However, the data can vary for a recipe based on many factors such as precision of measurements, ingredients, or the source of nutrition data.

I make every effort to keep the information as accurate as possible but make no warranties regarding its accuracy.

I encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients you use in your recipe.

Chocolate Spiced Pear Cake – preparation step 2

STORAGE AND FREEZING

This cake is best eaten on the day but also keeps well for up to 5 days.

Freezing: Wrap this cake well with cling wrap or put it in a freezer box and it will keep for 2-3 months.

Chocolate Spiced Pear Cake – preparation step 4
Chocolate Spiced Pear Cake – preparation step 1

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Loaf cake RECIPES
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Chocolate Spiced Pear Cake – preparation step 1

Chocolate Spiced Pear Cake

Preparation:40 minutes
Baking:1 hour
Total:1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Tools you’ll need:
  • 900g 2lb loaf pan
This chocolate spiced pear cake is a real winner for those autumn days, Whisky infused pears in a light, moist chocolaty sponge.
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INGREDIENTS LIST
 

Poached pears

  • 3 whole pears
  • 25 ml whisky
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 5 whole cloves
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • 1 whole vanilla pod (optional)
  • 200 g light brown sugar
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 800 ml water

Cake

  • 120 g plain flour (all-purpose)
  • 45 g unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda / baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 60 ml neutral-tasting oil (coconut, vegetable or sunflower oil)
  • 120 g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp of vanilla paste
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 medium egg (50g total)
  • 130 ml milk
  • 130 ml boiling water

Chocolate sauce

  • 300 ml pear poaching liquid
  • 100 ml single cream
  • 40 g unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation
 

  • Poaching pears: Peel the pears, leaving the stalk intact.
  • Combine all the ingredients into a small saucepan, the water should be enough to cover the pears, bring to a simmer.
  • Gently poach the pears for about 15 minutes.
  • Remove the pears and the spices with a slotted spoon.
  • Chocolate cake mix: Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 350°F / Gas 4
  • Line a 900g (2lb) loaf pan with baking/parchment paper.
  • Place all of the cake ingredients, except the boiling water, into a large mixing bowl. Using a spoon, or electric whisk, beat the mixture until smooth.
  • Add the boiling water to the mixture, a little at a time, until smooth. (The cake mixture will now be very liquid.)
  • The pears should now be cool enough to place into the loaf tin, if they don’t stand easily, you can cut the bottoms straight to help them. Pour the batter in and around the pears.
  • Baking: Place on the middle shelf in the oven for 45–50 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  • Chocolate sauce: Whilst the cake is baking prepare the chocolate sauce by reducing the pear poaching liquid down to about 300ml, then add the cream and cocoa powder to make a rich chocolate pear sauce.

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