WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
D’Anjou pear — this is my go-to pear as they are dense, so they hold up well when poached and baked. A softer pear will become soggy, affecting the cake’s texture after baking. As these green pears do not change color to indicate ripeness, check for ripeness by pressing your thumb near the stem end of the pear. If the pear gives in to pressure, the pear is ripe. Brandy — use a good quality brandy as the alcohol improves the pears’ flavor and boosts its aroma. If it’s not drinking quality, I don’t recommend cooking with it. Brown sugar — brown sugar keeps the cake moist and soft on the inside. The sugar also adds a delicious molasses flavor both to the cake and the poached pears. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can follow this post to Make Your Own Brown Sugar. Semisweet chocolate — I recommend using chocolate bars made for baking as they melt better, with a consistent texture. Yogurt — while it’s only a cup, the whole milk yogurt keeps the chocolate pear cake moist and provides a hint of tangy flavor that compliments the sweetness from the pears.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE PEAR CAKE
Add the water, brandy, sugar, vanilla, cardamom, and lemon juice to a medium pot and bring to a boil. Add the diced pears and lower the temperature to a simmer. Cook until softened, about 20 minutes, then move the pear pieces to a bowl and allow to cool. Reserve ⅓ of the poaching liquid and cook down the rest. Reserve another ¼ cup of the reduced liquid for the buttercream and then whisk in confectioners’ sugar into the remaining liquid until the desired thickness is reached for a glaze.
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the eggs and sugar and mix on high for several minutes.
Add the yogurt and melted chocolate, brandy, and ⅓ cup of poaching liquid and beat until well incorporated.
Add the flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda mixture and mix on low until just combined.
Fold in the poached pears carefully using a spatula. Distribute the batter evenly to the three pans and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Make the buttercream, and then use a spatula to place a generous amount of buttercream on the first layer. Liberally drizzle a chocolate ganache on top and place the second cake layer on top.
Cover the cake with a thin coat of buttercream. Scrape the vertical side down.
Pipe dollops of buttercream on top using a star tip. Drizzle some ganache on top of the dollops, then spoon glaze on the center to form a pool and serve the chocolate pear cake.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
When measuring the all-purpose flour, I recommend using a scale for the most accurate measurements. However, if you don’t have one, make sure to fluff the flour first and then spoon it into your measuring cup. Level off the cup with the back of a knife to ensure you don’t overpack the flour. The eggs should be at room temperature to ensure they evenly incorporate into your batter without accidentally over-mixing. If you forgot to bring out your eggs, you could quickly bring them to room temperature by placing them in a large bowl and covering them with warm tap water for 5 minutes. I recommend tapping the cake pans on your counter to pop any air bubbles. Baking soda and baking powder are crucial in the cake rising, so make sure they have not expired before using them. The cake strips help your pear cake layers come out evenly. Cake strips work by keeping the outside edge of the pan cooler to ensure that the entire cake rises at the same rate, preventing a dome from forming in the middle of the pan. If you don’t want to purchase a set, check out my post on How to Get Perfect Flat Cake Layers to learn how to make your own strips. An offset spatula or bench scraper is perfect for frosting the cake. Avoid over-mixing as you risk over-developing the gluten in the batter leading to a tough and dense chocolate pear cake. To help the butter melt quicker and easier, cut it into small cubes. If you need more detail on it, then see my step by step post on ganache.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Should pears be peeled before baking?
I recommend peeling the pears before baking. The pear’s skin becomes tough when heated, leading to an unpleasant texture to the cake.
How do I store this?
Store this cake at room temperature, covered, for up to 2 days or up to a week refrigerated. I prefer eating this pear cake warm, so I recommend reheating it before serving.
Can I freeze this cake?
While the pear cake is freezer-friendly, you might find that the texture, especially of the pears, will be different once thawed. Wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap then tin foil to avoid freezer-burn as it’ll dry out the cake. If you’ve tried this Chocolate Pear Cake recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
