Chocolate Spiced Pear Cake
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.
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.
