This easy to make sunken pear and chocolate cake makes a fabulous centre piece. Not only is it lovely as a cake with a cuppa or a coffee it also makes a delicious dessert cake.
I have made this cake and a few variations of it several times in the last couple of years, and have been meaning to make it for the blog for some time now. So when the Great British Bake Off started again last week and the first challenge was to make a fruity cake (fresh fruit not dried) I thought this cake fitted the brief perfectly.
When the show aired last year my blog was still very new and I joined in the Great Bloggers Bake Off hosted by Jenny at MummyMishaps . A group of bloggers baked each week along with the show and as a result over the weeks I made some fabulous virtual baking/blogger friends, who have gone on to prove their weight in gold with the help and encouragement in the world of blogging. There is nothing like a cake, virtual or real to make people friendly and sociable and I am so grateful to have met such a great bunch on line.
The jury is still out as whether I like the new presenters on Channel 4 and of course I don't like the ads (that's what recording and the fast forwards button is there for) but once I found out the Great Bloggers Bake Off was happening again, then I was definitely going to be watching the show and baking along. How could I not.
Before the first show I thought I would test myself on the technical challenges but then the first one was mini chocolate rolls, and as one contestant said 'I've never made mini swiss rolls - Why would I? My thoughts exactly, so given the fact that this cake fitted one of the other tasks so beautifully, decision made! And here is my first GBBO bake just in time before the next episode goes out.
Sunken Pear and Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
for the pears
- 300 ml cider (hard cider in US)
- 3-4 pears
- 100 g golden caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
For the cake
- 175 g butter softened, plus extra to grease
- 175 g golden caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 175 g self-raising flour
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder plus extra to sprinkle in tin
- 75 g plain chocolate melted
- icing sugar, to dust
Instructions
To poach the pears
- Place the cider in a saucepan with the sugar and ginger and heat gently stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Peel the pears leaving the stems attached. Remove the Calyx from the base of the pears.
- Place the pears in the cider. Cover and poach gently for 20 minutes until just tender, turning the fruit over in the syrup once or twice.
- Remove from the pan with the draining spoon and allow to cool completely.
To complete the cake
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan)/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with a little butter. Add about 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and shake the pan to coat on the inside. Tap out any excess cocoa powder.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until very pale and fluffy. Then beat in the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
- Sift the flour and 2 tablespoon of cocoa powder into the bowl and begin to fold in. Then add the melted chocolate and fold in until well blended.
- Spoon into the prepared tin and level. Pat the pears dry on kitchen paper and stand in a line in the tin pushing gently into the cake mixture but not quite to the bottom of the tin. I like to slightly slope the pears in alternate directions.
- Bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cover the top loosely with foil if it begins to get too dark on top,
- Allow too cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely
Notes
Nutrition
More Show stopper Cakes Made Easy
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Valerie says
Hi,
So my comment so far is (as I'm trying this recipe today) is the batter seems very low when poured in the tin, as you mention, not to push the pears to the bottom, when I put them in the batter they just sank to the bottom. I'm hoping the batter rises sufficiently because it seems very low.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Hi Valerie, I am wondering how your cake turned out I hope it was a sucess. Although I have made this cake a lotin the past its been a while. If I remember correctly the batter should have filled the tin by about ½-⅓ full. The batter is quite thick so should have supported the pears so they would not have sunk all the way to the bottom unless pushed down. Anyway look forward to hearing how it turned out. Jacqui
Sari – CampaSimpukka says
This was a very nice cake, tried it yesterday!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
so glad you liked it> its always lovely to hear when someone has made my recipes.
Julie's Family Kitchen says
Simply wow! Your sunken pear and chocolate cake is incredible and I'm sure equally as delicious. 🙂
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thank you Julie. I do like a cake that looks good taste good and is easy to make and this ticks all those boxes
Linda says
This looks great, Jacquie! Very tempting ...
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thank you Linda.
Balvinder says
OMG, that looks beautiful. I 'll try this soon.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thank you.
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
Absolutely love the sound of this Jacqui, it looks absolitely stunning too whith a lovely sluce of pear with each slice! And very well done to you for the #GBBOTwitterBakeAlong! 🙂
Angela x
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thank you Angela. I honestly thought your box of chocolate cake was going to scoop star baker. Still It such fun baking along isnt it
jenny walters says
I absolutely love this cake,it's stunning!What a delicious combo too.I love pears in a chocolate sponge.Classic and classy!Beautiful photos xx
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thank you Jenny. I am a huge fan of pear and chocolate too.
jenny paulin says
As always another superb bake Jacqueline! I love how each slice of the cake revels a slice of moist pear. and yet the cake is not as complicates rot make as you would imagine from seeing a photo of a slice (if that makes sense?) . I am, wondering if I could adjust the recipe slightly and use apples in place of the pears (and no chocolate`). hmmmmm will have a think about that!
Thank you so much for joining in again with #GBBOBloggers2017. You make such amazing bakes x
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
I havent tried it with apple although I do not see why it would not work so long as you use an apple that doesnt fall apart during poaching. As for non chocolate No problem I have made a cinnamon and orange cake before.
Rebecca Beesley says
WOW - just WOW - that cross section of cake showing the pear is just stunning!!! #gbbobloggers2017
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
I know and yet it really is quite simple to make.
Caroline says
It does look fabulous - I'm trying to summon up confidence to try it!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Do Give it a go. The cake itself is very simple. Testing for cooked is slightly tricky but just make sure the skewer goes into the cake rather than the pear.
Jo / Jo's Kitchen Larder says
Absolutely fabulous! Love easy cakes that look so stunning and this one fits the bill perfectly.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thanks Jo I know its really is easy and yet it looks so impressive no one would know how easy it is unless you tell them.
AndreaB says
looks so pretty
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thank you Andrea