Pear, hazelnut and chocolate cake
Pear, hazelnut and chocolate cake
 Prep Time ~ 30 mins | Cooking Time ~ 60 mins |
 Approx Cost ~ £4.25 |  Difficulty ~ Easy |
 Freeze ~ Yes |  Serves ~ 8 |
Tips ~ You could substitute ground almonds for hazelnuts in this cake mixture. This cake could be served either as a coffee time treat or a dessert with lightly whipped cream.
Ingredients
100g / 4oz blanched hazelnuts
140g / 5oz self raising flour
175g / 6oz butter, cut into small pieces
140g / 5oz golden caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
5 small ripe, Conference pears
50g / 2oz dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks
2 tbsp apricot jam
Method
- Preheat oven to 160C, gas Mark 3. Butter and line a 20cm round cake tin.
- Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor until fairly fine. Add the flour, mixing briefly before putting in the butter. Pulse mixture until it forms crumbs, then mix in the sugar and eggs.
- Peel core and chop 2 pears, add to the cake mixture along with the chocolate, pulse to mix. Do not over mix.
- Spoon mixture into prepared tin and smooth top. Peel, core and slice remaining pears and scatter over the top of the cake. Press down lightly and bake for 50 - 60 minutes, until firm to the touch.
- Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.
- Warm the jam and brush over the top of cake. Serve warm with cream or cold.