Pear, chocolate and cardamom cake

Pear and chocolate are an absolute match made in heaven. The subtle, almost floral flavour of the pear anchors so perfectly with the bitter sweetness of dark chocolate. To really up the ante, though, we add a little cardamom to the mix. It's warm, aromatic note rounds out the flavour profile perfectly.

Pear chocolate and cardamom cake. Credit: Murdoch Books / Armelle Habib

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 170 g (6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 200 g (7 oz) brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 125 g (4½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 125 g (4½ oz) almond meal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 100 g (3½ oz) dark chocolate (70% works perfectly in this), chopped
• 410 g (14½ oz) tin pear halves, drained of their juice

Makes a 20 cm (8 inch) cake.

Cooling time: 10 minutes.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) fan-forced (or 180°C non-fan-forced). Line the base of a 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tin with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar for 2–3 minutes or until pale and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt and cardamom and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Fold the chopped chocolate through the cake batter, then pour into the cake tin.
5. Arrange pear on top. I like to take three slices of pear, lay them together, and stud them into the top of the cake mix, criss-crossing the pears around the top of the cake in a decorative manner.
6. Bake for 40–45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
7. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring it to a serving plate.

Recipe and image from You Had Me at Cake by Emelia Jackson, photography by Armelle Habib (Murdoch Books RRP $39.99).

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.