If you like pears and chocolate and think they go well together, you should try this Chocolate Almond Pear Cake. It is very flavorful due to pears and almonds, and also has a rich, moist and chocolatey taste that makes it simply irresistible.
Ingredients
Makes about 10 servings
4 eggs, separated
7 oz (200g) semisweet chocolate (55-70%)
2/3 cup (150g) butter
1 tbsp (8g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup (100g) ground almonds
1/4 tsp (2g) salt
1 tsp (5ml) almond extract
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
3 or 4 ripe pears, peeled, halved and cored
1. Grease and line a 10-inch (25cm) springform pan (with a removable base) with parchment paper. Separate egg yolks from whites. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Melt chocolate and butter over a bain-marie until smooth. Let it cool slightly. Add yolks one at a time and stir well.Stir in cocoa powder, ground almonds, salt and almond extract.
3. Whip egg whites until foamy using a mixer. Gradually add sugar and whip until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped whites into chocolate mixture.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Cut pear halves in thin slices leaving one edge uncut.
6. Place the sliced pear halves on top of the batter and bake for 40-45 minutes.
7. Let it cool completely and refrigerate to set for at least 2 hours.