Pear, Hazelnut and Chocolate Cake
This British cake is a delightful teatime treat or dessert, combining ripe pears, ground hazelnuts and chunks of dark chocolate. The result is a moist and fruity bake that is finished with a glossy apricot glaze. It is lovely served warm, perhaps with a dollop of cream. The recipe yields a cake that cuts neatly into eight generous slices.
Ingredients
- 100g blanched hazelnuts
- 140g self-raising flour
- 175g butter cut into small pieces
- 140g golden caster sugar
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 5 small, ripe Conference pears
- 50g dark chocolate chopped into small chunks
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
Method
- Set your oven to fan 140C, conventional 160C, or gas 3. Prepare a 20cm round cake tin by buttering it and lining the base. Process the hazelnuts in a food processor until they are fairly fine. Briefly mix in the flour. Pulse with the butter to create crumbs. Add the sugar and eggs and mix briefly. Prepare two pears by peeling, coring and chopping them. Gently fold the chopped pears and chocolate into the cake batter.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and level the surface. Peel, core and slice the remaining three pears and arrange them over the batter. Press them down lightly. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the cake feels firm. Let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. Heat the apricot jam and brush it over the top of the cake. Serve either warm or cold.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories470 kcal
Fat30 g
Saturates14 g
Carbs47 g
Sugars18 g
Fibre3 g
Protein6 g
Sodium200 mg
Recipe details
Skill levelEasy
CategoryDessert
Cuisinebritish
