Pear Hazelnut Chocolate Cake Food

PEAR, HAZELNUT & CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 140C/ conventional 160C/gas 3. Butter and line the base of a 20cm round cake tin. Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor until fairly fine. Add the flour and mix briefly. Add the butter and pulse until it forms crumbs. Add the sugar and eggs and mix briefly. Peel, core and chop two of the pears. Stir the pears and chocolate lightly into the cake mixture.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Peel, core and slice the 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 wire rack. Warm the jam and brush over the top. Serve warm or cold.

PEAR, HAZELNUT & CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 140C/ conventional 160C/gas 3. Butter and line the base of a 20cm round springform cake tin. Place the hazelnuts in between a tea towel until broken into small chunks. Add the flour and mix briefly. Add the butter and rub between your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and eggs and mix briefly. Peel, core and chop two of the pears. Stir the pears and chocolate lightly into the cake mixture.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Peel, core and slice the remaining pears and scatter over the top of the cake. Press down lightly and bake for 60 - 80 minutes, until firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool on wire rack. Warm the jam and brush over the top. Serve warm or cold.

PEAR-HAZELNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch springform cake pan.
• Peel, core and slice the pears. Toss them with the juice of one-half lemon and set aside.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Stir in the nuts. Set aside.
• Cream 12 tablespoons of the butter with one cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the flour and nut mixture, then the remaining lemon juice and the vanilla. Spread the batter in the pan.
• Arrange the pear slices, overlapping, on the surface of the batter in a pattern. Sprinkle them with all but one tablespoon of the remaining sugar and dot with the remaining butter. Place the cake in the oven and bake until it is golden brown, the top springs back when lightly touched and a cake tester comes out clean, about 70 minutes.
• Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before removing the sides of the pan. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Serve at once or when completely cooled.

SPICED HAZELNUT-PEAR CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Poach the pears:
• Peel pears. Using a 1/2 tsp. measuring spoon or small melon baller, scoop upward from bottom of pears 1 1/2-2" to remove core and seeds; discard. Combine pears, wine, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and 3 cups water in a large, heavy pot. Cut a round of parchment to fit just inside pot and cover pears.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, turning pears occasionally to coat with liquid, until pears are very tender but not falling apart, 20-25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to a large bowl and cover with parchment round.
• Bring poaching liquid to a boil, then cook over medium heat until reduced to the consistency of thick syrup, 12-15 minutes (you should have 1/2 cup). Transfer 5 pears to a medium bowl, reserving remaining pears for cake, and pour syrup over. Cover with parchment and let cool, or chill overnight.
• Bake the cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease cake pan with butter and line bottom with parchment paper.
• Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 6-8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Pulse 1/2 cup dry ingredients and 3/4 cup hazelnuts in a food processor until hazelnuts are chopped into a fine flour; reserve remaining hazelnuts. Transfer chopped hazelnuts to bowl with dry ingredients.
• Wipe out food processor bowl and add 5 poached pears. Pulse until smooth. Transfer 2 cups to a small bowl; discard leftover purée.
• Beat brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and 3/4 cup butter on medium-high speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Scrape down bowl and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add half of pear purée and beat on low speed. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low to incorporate. Beat in remaining pear purée and flour mixture until combined. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top. Set pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake cake, rotating sheet halfway through, until center is set and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool.
• Assemble the cake:
• Turn chilled pears in liquid to coat, then transfer liquid (about 1/2 cup) to a small saucepan. Add chocolate and 3/4 cup cream and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, just until chocolate is melted. Whisk to combine, then transfer to a medium bowl. Chill, stirring occasionally so chocolate doesn't set, until room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• Remove cake from pan, trim top with a serrated knife if domed, and invert onto a 12" platter. Remove parchment. Using a toothpick, poke holes all over top of cake. Using a pastry brush, brush top with 1/4 cup chocolate sauce.
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop remaining 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts. Whip remaining 3/4 cup cream to medium-soft peaks in stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
• Top cake with whipped cream, pears, and hazelnuts. Drizzle chocolate sauce over pears. Serve remaining chocolate sauce alongside.
• Do Ahead
• Cake and pears can be made 2 days ahead; cover in separate containers and chill.

HAZELNUT PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-in. fluted tube pan. Chop 1 cup hazelnuts. Place remaining hazelnuts in a food processor; pulse until finely ground., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts., In another bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking soda and ground hazelnuts; add to creamed mixture alternately with ricotta cheese, beating after each addition just until combined. Fold in pears and chopped hazelnuts., Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely., For glaze, in a small heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Heat 5-7 minutes or until golden brown, stirring constantly. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in milk, vanilla and enough confectioners' sugar to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.