Chocolate Pear Ckae

Life is good here at the cove. My husband’s health is improving, and the sun is shining. What more could I want? Well, maybe a chocolate cake with juicy pears. It’s a perfect mix of all my favorite ingredients: chocolate, pears, and hazelnuts. I couldn't resist when I saw this recipe in a German calendar that my friend Monika sent me years ago. The author, Elizabeth Raether, compares it to Romeo and Juliet—two who find each other in pure love, free from envy and rivalry—dark chocolate and juicy pears in a simple yet delicious, typical German cake, not too sweet with a subtle chocolate flavor and a crunch from the roasted nuts. Perfect any time of day with or without whipped cream.

I made this cake a few weeks ago when I needed some time in the kitchen to escape from everything. I shared it with friends, and it received great reviews; however, I ate most of it myself—late at night, for breakfast, and during afternoon tea.

I baked the cake again using different pears. The first time, I used Anjou pears, which were sweet and juicy, making the cake moister than the second time, when I used Bosc pears. I also didn’t bake the cake long enough the first time, so the middle wasn’t fully cooked. The second time, I increased the baking time and tested for doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center. The cake is done when the toothpick comes out clean. Be sure to insert the toothpick into the middle of the cake. The cake is dry when first baked, but becomes moister the next day, and the chocolate flavor becomes more intense. 

Ingredients:
I used a 10-inch (24 cm) cake pan with a removable bottom.

8 ounces ( 200g)  soft butter
4 eggs at room temperature, yolks and whites separated 
3.5 ounces (100g) dark chocolate with 70% cocoa 
4 ounces (100g), about a cup of roasted and mostly peeled hazelnuts 
4 ½ ounces, a full cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. backing powder 
5 ripe pears

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). 
Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it slowly in a bowl set over simmering, not boiling, water.
​Beat the egg whites in a mixer until they form semi-stiff to almost-stiff peaks. Transfer them to a separate bowl. Beat the sugar and butter until creamy, then add one egg at a time, mixing after each addition. 
I buy my hazelnuts at Trader Joe’s, where they come peeled and lightly roasted. In this recipe, I roasted them again in a dry frying pan for a few minutes until they released their aroma. Then, I ground them in a food processor until very fine. Be careful not to turn them into hazelnut butter. 
Mix the flour with the baking powder and add it to the dough. Now mix in the  melted chocolate and ground hazelnuts until well combined. 
Finally, carefully mix in the egg white using a wooden or plastic spoon in a circular motion. 
Pour the batter into a well-greased cake pan with a removable bottom. 
Peel the pears, cut them in half, and remove the stems and cores. Then, cut the pears lengthwise into slices, keeping the top half intact. Arrange the pears around the batter in a circle, with one half in the middle. Bake the cake on a convection bake cycle for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
Take the cake out of the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, and carefully remove the top of the cake pan. Keep the bottom piece in place. The cake is moister the next day.
Guten Appetit!
Recipe from Elizabeth Raether 
Posted and translated by the Sunnycovechef
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