Autumn means beautiful pears.Super versatile, they’re delicious in both sweet and savoury dishes. Our favourite? This pear and chocolate cake - an indulgent treat that’s perfect for any occasion and just happens to be gluten free too!

 

Chocolate and Pear Cake

Ingredients

4 very ripe pears, peeled, halved and cored

85g gluten-free dark chocolate, broken into pieces

85g butter, plus 1 tbsp extra for tin

85g caster sugar, plus extra for tin

1 tbsp brandy

3 eggs, separated

85g almonds, toasted and ground in a food processor

Method

1. Cut a circle of baking paper to fit the base of a 25cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Melt 1 tbsp butter and brush the inside of the tin, then line the base with the baking paper and brush again with more butter. Spoon in 2 tbsp caster sugar, swirl it around to coat the base and sides removing any excess

2. Heat oven 180C (fan forced) or 160C (conventional).

3. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water, remove from the heat, stir in the brandy and leave to cool.

4. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a large bowl until pale and thick; fold into the chocolate with the almonds.

5. In a separate bowl, with a clean whisk, beat the egg whites until they reach a soft peak (try not to whisk them too stiffly or you’ll have trouble folding them in).

6. Stir a spoonful of the egg whites into the chocolate mix, then carefully fold in the rest of them in 2 additions.

7. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin. Level, then arrange the pears over the mixture, cut-side down.

8. Bake for 40 mins until the pears are soft and the cake is cooked all the way through.

9. Leave to cool in the tin slightly before releasing it, then place on a rack to cool completely.

ENJOY

Recipes thanks to Kathy Kordalis, Home Economist