Pear, Cardamom + Dark Chocolate Cake

Makes : a small 7 inch cake

Golden warmly spiced cake full of fruit and dark chocolate – the perfect easy treat at home.

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter
• 2 ripe medium pears (200 grams), cored and diced
• generous squeeze of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 and 1/4 cups (175 grams) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 100 grams good dark chocolate, chopped 

– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients – 

Equipment:

• Bowls and spoons
• Balloon whisk
• 7 inch round cake pan lined with baking paper
• Small saucepan

Directions:

Heat the oven to 180C 9350F). Line a 6 inch round cake pan with baking paper.

Dice the butter and brown it gently over a low heat. Watch it closely and stir from time to time so it doesn’t burn. It will turn fairly quickly so be ready to smell nuttiness and see dark golden brown flecks. Pour it off into a bowl to stop the cooking and leave it to cool for a bit.

Core and dice the pears and toss in the lemon juice.

Whisk the sugar and browned butter together until well mixed and there are no lumps.

Add the egg and whisk for a good minute or two to get a bit of creaminess into the mixture. It won’t be mousse-y or anything but it will look a bit thicker and paler.

Stir in the pears.

Add the flour, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold until the mixture is mostly combined – it will be thick so don’t worry that it looks a bit wrong.

Add the chopped chocolate and fold just enough to distribute it through the batter.

Press the batter into the prepared pan and level the top as best you can. If you want to give it a bit of glitz sprinkle a bit of demerara sugar on top or wait until after baking and give it a dust of icing sugar.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until the cake is springy in the centre. It’s hard to test with a cake tester as the pears create spots of moisture, but it should come out mostly clean.

Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or cold. With a cup of tea or without. With a little whipped cream on the side or not. Do what makes you happy.

Cook’s Notes:

• If you want to make a larger cake or loaf for a larger household than 2 people just double this recipe and proceed with the directions. Bake in a large loaf tin or a 9 inch round tin until firm in the centre.
• Make sure to use juicy ripe pears to get the best finished texture.
• If you don’t have chocolate on hand, half a cup of toasted chopped walnuts is also delicious.

 – This cake keeps well at room temperature in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days – 

Adapted from The Honey and Co Baking Book by Sarit Packer an Itamar Srulovich.

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