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.