This Pear and Chocolate Cake makes the most delicious Fall and Winter dessert. The easy chocolate cake topped with fresh pears and chocolate chunks is perfect for afternoon tea, your Holidays dessert table or as an every day dessert!
This post was first published in July 2018 and was updated in August 2021.
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Why we love this recipe
I love to mix Chocolate and Fruits like for this Chocolate and Raspberry Brownies or these fun Chocolate Orange Tartlets. But pears with chocolate is probably one of my favourite flavour combo, ever!
This Chocolate Pear Cake is fudgy and decadent yet still fresh and crunchy thanks to the pears. It is super quick and easy to make (you could even make it by hands with just a whisk!) but looks super impressive.
Just like this Flourless Almond Pear cake, it is a great dessert to serve at a dinner party, for the Holidays or a fancy afternoon tea party.
Ingredients
This Pear Chocolate Cake is made from 8 simple ingredients (scroll down to recipe card below for all quantities)
- Chocolate: Dark Cooking Chocolate, either a bar finely chopped or chocolate callets. Don't use eating chocolate as it will not melt properly and potentially turn grainy. If preferred, you could also use a Milk Chocolate.
- Butter: Unsalted Butter. I like to cut it into small cubes so that they melt more quickly.
- Pears: Use Pears that are still slightly firm (not too ripe) so that you can easily slice them thinly. I kept the peels, but you can peel them if preferred. See FAQs section below for the best pear variety.
- Eggs: medium size, at room room temperature.
- Sugar: I used Brown Sugar, in my opinion the best sugar to compliment chocolate!
- Flour, Baking Powder & Salt: a simple Plain / AP Flour. For the best results, sift the dry ingredients together before adding them to the wet ingredients.
Optional addition
If you want to take this cake to the next level, you could also add some spices to the cake batter like Cinnamon or Ginger. Or mix the fruits with some Orange Zests for example!
How to make Chocolate and Pear Cake
This pear and chocolate cake is super easy to make. I used a stand mixer to prepare the batter, but you can absolutely make it by hands as well.
- Preheat your oven on 180'C/350'F. Line the bottom of a 25 cm / 10 inch Springform Pan with baking paper.
- Photo 1: place the finely chopped Cooking Chocolate and Butter in a heat proof bowl. Melt until smooth, either in 30 seconds increments in the microwave (stopping to stir each time) or over a double boiler. Set aside to cool down.
- Photo 2: cut the Pears in half, core them then very thinly slice them in their length. Set aside.
- Photo 3: place the Brown Sugar and Eggs in the bowl of your mixer (or a large mixing bowl if doing it by hands / with a hand mixer). Whisk together on medium to medium high speed for about 5 minutes, or until very bubbly and almost doubled in volume.
- Photo 4: Add the cooled down melted chocolate & butter.
- Photo 5: Mix on slow until combined, stopping to scrap the sides/bottom of the bowl if required.
- Photo 6 & 7: add the sifted Flour, Baking Powder and Salt. Very slowly mix until just combined. Make sure not to over-mix the batter now to avoid deflating it. Again, scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are properly incorporated.
Note that this step can be done by hand with a spatula to make sure the batter is not mixed too much.
- Photo 8: pour the chocolate batter in the Springform Pan. Use a small offset spatula or back of a spoon to spread it around if required. Top with the thinly sliced pears.
- Optional: top with the Chocolate Chunks (or chips).
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool down completely before removing from the pan.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, that would be a delicious substitution for fresh pears! Just make sure to drain them as much as possible as you don't want them to leak to much water while they bake.
You could even use Red Wine Poached Pears for a truly decadent dessert!
For this recipe, I used Bosc Pears but you could also use Bartlett / Williams, Anjou or Concorde. The pears should be slightly firm (but not too firm) so that they are easy to thinly slice.
Yes, it will work with self-rising flour - simply substitute with the plain/AP flour 1 to 1 and discard the baking powder and salt.
I used a 70% Dark Cooking Chocolate for this recipe, but you could really use any of your favourite cooking chocolate here. This cake is not too sweet, so if you are after a sweeter dessert, you could use a chocolate with lower percentage of cacao.
Tips for Success
- Make sure the melted Chocolate and Butter have cooled down before adding them to the Eggs/Sugar. If too hot, they might cook the eggs which could result in a grainy, unpleasant texture.
- The Eggs should be at room temperature. If too cold, they might make the melted chocolate and butter seize then harden.
- Mix in the dry ingredients by hands (instead of with a mixer) to insure you don't over-mix the batter and deflate the air added while whisking the eggs and sugar together.
Storing & Freezing
This cake can be kept at room temperature and will be best eaten within two days. The pear and chocolate cake is best served slightly warm, so I recommend re-heating individual slices for a few seconds before eaten it!
I don't recommend freezing this dessert as it will dry out the chocolate cake.
This cake was inspired by the classic French dessert "Poires Belle Hélène", which are poached pears served with a chocolate sauce.
More Pear Desserts
- Apple and Pear Crumble
- Pear Franfipane Tartlets
- Pear Compote
- Red Wine Poached Pears
- Puff Pastry Pear Tartlets
- Pear Muffins
- Stewed Pears
- 25 Pear Desserts
Recipe
Chocolate and Pear Cake
Ingredients
- 200 gr (7 oz) Dark Cooking Chocolate
- 120 gr (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter
- 2 Pears - slightly firm
- 3 Eggs - at room temperature
- 100 gr (1/2 cup) Brown Sugar
- 200 gr (1 1/3 cup) Plain / AP Flour
- 1 1/2 teasp. Baking Powder
- 1 pinch Table Salt
- 50 gr (1,5 oz) Chocolate Chunks - optional (or chocolate chips).
Disclaimer
I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven on 180'C/350'F. Line the bottom of a 25 cm / 10 inch Springform Pan with baking paper.
- Finely chop the Cooking Chocolate. Place it in a heat-proof bowl with the Butter and melt it, either in 30 seconds increments in the microwave or over a double boiler. Set aside to cool down.200 gr (7 oz) Dark Cooking Chocolate, 120 gr (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter
- Wash the pear, cut them in half and core them. Cut each pear halves in very thin slices. Set aside.2 Pears
- Place the Eggs and Brown Sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Whisk on medium high speed for about 5 minutes, or until it has doubled in volume and is very bubbly.3 Eggs, 100 gr (1/2 cup) Brown Sugar
- Add the cooled down melted Chocolate and Butter and mix to combine (see note 1).
- Add the sifted Flour, Baking Powder and Salt. Slowly mix and stop as soon as combined (see note 2).200 gr (1 1/3 cup) Plain / AP Flour, 1 1/2 teasp. Baking Powder, 1 pinch Table Salt
- Pour the cake batter into the Springform Pan. Use a small offset spatula or spoon to spread it if needed. Top with the Pear Slices.
- Optional: finish by topping the cake with the Chocolate Chunks50 gr (1,5 oz) Chocolate Chunks
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool down completely before removing from the pan.
Notes
- Chocolate: make sure to use Baking Chocolate (and not eating chocolate). If using a bar, finely chop it before melting it. You can also use Chocolate Callets.
- I recommend stopping to scrap the bottom and sides of the bowl when mixing in the chocolate and butter to make sure it is all properly incorporated.
- You don't want to over-mix the batter after adding the flour to avoid deflating it and/or developing too much gluten, which might result in a denser cake. This part cake be done by hands with a spatula instead of the mixer to make sure you don't over-work the batter if preferred. Also make sure to scrap the bottom of the bowl where some of the ingredients might not have fully mixed.
