Flourless Chocolate & Pear Cake with Chantilly Cream

Susan, AKA Kiwicook
Susan, AKA Kiwicook

Susan, AKA Kiwicook

In her days as a recipe developer, Susan has created over 450 recipes. Her Dutch and New Zealander roots serve as a basis for her culinary inspiration.

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Flourless Chocolate & Pear Cake with Chantilly Cream

Chocolate and pears – what a great combination! That, and a dash of brandy, and you’re onto a winner!

This cake – a dark flourless chocolate cake, studded with juicy pears and topped with an apricot and brandy glaze – is as much a dessert as something you’d have for afternoon tea. That’s actually how I served it – as a dessert, with a generous dollop of Chantilly cream and some drizzled dark raw chocolate sauce. Divine!

I used this recipe from Good to Know, and added some brandy into both the cake and the apricot glaze. I also added the Chantilly cream as I always think it’s the perfect partner to chocolate cake – just adding that extra moisture. Not that the cake wasn’t moist – it was beautifully moist and tender – a bit like a light brownie in texture.

I definitely recommend serving this cake warm. So, either serve it not long after you’ve baked it, or heat each slice up in the microwave (as I did) for about 20 seconds at serving time.

Whether you serve this for afternoon tea, or as a delightful way to finish a main meal, I can unreservedly recommend it. Enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate & Pear Cake with Chantilly Cream

Flourless Chocolate & Pear Cake with Chantilly Cream

If you love chocolate, this cake is a must-try! It's got a deep chocolate flavor, balanced by the sweetness of pears. The texture is almost fudgy. Serve it warm with a dollop of whipped cream for the ultimate cozy treat.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cool time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Dessert
Servings 8 servings
Calories 338 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the cake:

  • A little caster sugar (superfine) to line the sides of the tin
  • 3.5 oz butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 3.5 oz dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon brandy optional
  • 3 large eggs separated
  • 3.5 oz caster sugar, plus extra for tin
  • 4 ripe but firm, pears*
  • 3.5 oz packet ground almonds (almond meal)
  • 2 tablespoons apricot jam
  • 1 teaspoon brandy optional

For the Chantilly cream:

  • 10.1 fl oz heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon icing sugar sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To serve:

  • icing sugar (confectioner's sugar) to serve
  • Optional: Raw chocolate sauce

Instructions
 

For the cake

  • Set the oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter a 23-25cm (9-10 inch) cake or flan tin** and put a disc of baking parchment in the base. Spoon in a little caster sugar to coat the inside of the tin, then tip out the excess.
  • Melt the butter and chocolate together, in a bowl over a pan of hot water or in a microwave oven. Add the brandy, and let the mixture sit to cool a little.
  • Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is thick and creamy and a trail can be seen in the mixture when the whisk is lifted up.
  • To prepare the pears, peel them with a vegetable peeler and then halve them. Use a melon baller, or a teaspoon, to scoop out the pips in the centre.
  • Fold the melted chocolate mixture along with the ground almonds into the whisked egg-yolk mixture – the mixture will come together in a fairly stiff ball.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they’re stiff. Stir in a couple of tablespoons of the egg whites fairly vigorously into the chocolate mixture, to loosen it up.
  • Add the remaining egg whites into the chocolate mixture and carefully fold in using a large metal spoon or spatula, taking care not to overwork it or the air will be lost and the sponge won’t rise as much.
  • Pour the mixture gently into the tin, and arrange the pear halves on top, with the cut-side down (these will sink as the cake bakes).
  • Bake cake in the centre of the oven for 45 mins to 1 hour, or until it’s set in the centre (use a skewer to test). Leave the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.
  • Press the apricot jam through a sieve, add the brandy (if using) and warm in the microwave to make it easy to brush over the cake. Brush it over the cake while it’s still hot. Let the cake cool (it can be served warm or at room temperature).

For the Chantilly cream:

  • Add cream, sieved icing sugar and vanilla extract into a mixer bowl and beat until it has soft peaks.

To serve:

  • Serve with a dollop of Chantilly cream and dust the cake with icing sugar, if you like. I also drizzled over some Raw Chocolate Sauce.

Notes

* You may not need all four pears, depending on their size.
** A spring-form tin is easiest for this recipe, however you can use a standard ceramic flan tin (as I did). To get the cake out, I laid a wide folded piece of parchment across the bottom of the tin and out over the sides so that I could lift the cake safely out after it had baked.

Nutrition

Calories: 338kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 4gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 118mgPotassium: 155mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 967IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chantilly cream, Chocolate Cake, flourless cake, pear cake
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Susan, AKA Kiwicook
About The Author
Susan, also known as the Kiwi Cook, hails from Levin, New Zealand, and has a unique Kiwi-Dutch-British heritage that influenced her culinary upbringing. As an artist, tutor, writer, and editor, Susan dedicates her weekends to creating delectable dishes. Her food philosophy embraces moderation and listening to her body's needs.

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