A simple and satisfying gluten-free chocolate dessert. Flourless chocolate pear cake is best served warm with ice cream or a dollop of crème fraîche .
This is the perfect dessert to make when guests are coming over. It fills the entire house with an intoxicating chocolate aroma. No need for fancy scented candles when you’re baking chocolate!
If you’ve never made a flourless chocolate cake, this is a great recipe to start with. The texture is a cross between a rich chocolate torte and a fudgy brownie. The pears bake down into soft, silky pockets. It’s elegant enough for a dinner party, yet easy enough for a random weekday afternoon.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Eggs: This cake contains no chemical leavening (such as baking powder). Instead the eggs are separated into whites and yolks. The whipped whites leaven the cake, trapping air that expands in the oven.
Ground Hazelnuts: My first choice for flavor! Hazelnuts and chocolate are a natural pair (think Nutella!). Buy whole hazelnuts and toast them. Then, pulse in a food processor until ground.
Almond Flour Swap: Substitute hazelnuts with equal amount of almond flour (almond meal). The cake will be slightly milder in flavor, but just as texturally good!
Dark Chocolate: Use a chocolate you’d happily eat on its own. I like to aim for 60-70% cacao (semi-sweet to dark chocolate). I recommend the giant bars from Trader Joe’s.
Espresso Powder (optional): A quarter teaspoons deeps the chocolate flavor without adding “coffee” or “espresso” taste. Simply omit if you don’t want to use it.
Bourbon/Whiskey/Rum (optional): A tablespoon adds warmth and complexity. The chocolate pear cake is still amazing without it. Omit if you prefer to skip alcohol.
Pears: Bartlett and Anjou are my go-to pear varieties for this cake. Bartlett pears are known for their iconic “pear shape.” Anjou is a bit more firm in texture and holds its shape well during baking. You may keep the pear skin on or peel the skin off. Use any variety of pears- just make sure they’re ripe! See tip below.
When is a pear ripe?
It is best to ripen pears at room temperature. Check pear ripeness by the neck, not the body.
Gently press near the stem using your thumb and index finger. If it gives slightly, it’s ready. A pear that’s rock-hard everywhere will bake up firm and underripe-tasting.
Assembly
- Prep your pan. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, coat with sugar (this keeps the cake from sticking and gives the edges a light sugary crust), and line the bottom with parchment.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together over a bain-marie (a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water). Stir in the whiskey or bourbon if using, then set aside to cool slightly.
- Whip the egg yolks with sugar until pale and thick.
- Combine the ground hazelnuts, salt, cinnamon, and espresso powder, then stir into the cooled chocolate mixture. Mix in the whipped yolks.
- Whip the egg whites to soft peaks in a clean, dry bowl. Fold into the chocolate batter in three additions, working gently to keep as much air in the batter as possible.
- Pour into the pan. Arrange the pears into the batter: halved cut-side down for a rustic look, or thinly sliced and fanned out for a dressier presentation.
- Bake at 350°F for 35–45 minutes, until the pears are tender and the cake is set throughout. (Baking time could be longer if your pears are very juicy.) Cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes before unmolding.
Presentation Variations
- Use thinly sliced pears instead of halves
- Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over batter before baking
- Generously add large chunks of dark chocolate before baking
Storage
Serve warm or at room temperature. Dust with sifted powdered sugar before serving. Delicious served with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or creme fracihe.
This cake is best enjoyed the day it’s made. As it sits, the pears continue to release moisture into the cake, which softens the texture over time.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Warm to room temperature, reheat in a toaster oven, or enjoy chilled. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to three days.
Flourless Chocolate Pear Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, (135 g)
- ¾ cup chopped dark chocolate, (135 g)
- 1 Tablespoon bourbon, whiskey, or dark rum of choice, optional
- ½ grams granulated sugar, (100 g)
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup whole hazelnuts, (130 g) toasted and ground
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 3-4 pears, peeled, halved, and cored*
- additional chopped hazelnuts and chopped chocolate for topping, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch round spring form pan and coat with granulated sugar. Line pan bottom with a parchment round.
- Melt butter and chocolate together in a bowl over a bain-marie. Once melted, remove from heat and mix in whiskey. Set aside.
- In the bowl of stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk egg yolks and granulated sugar until pale and thick.
- Whisk together ground hazelnuts, salt, cinnamon, and espresso powder. Mix into melted chocolate mixture. Fold thickened yolks into the chocolate mixture.
- In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Do not over beat. Add whites to chocolate batter in three additions, folding in whites gently.
- Pour chocolate batter into prepared pan. Level with a mini offset spatula. Place pears cut side down onto the batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes until pears are soft and cake is cooked throughout. Let cool in pan for 10-15 minutes before unmolding.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or serve with ice cream or creme fraiche.
Notes
- Use thinly sliced pears instead of halves
- Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over batter before baking
- Generously add large chunks of dark chocolate before baking
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I love this cake! I actually messed up, not catching that the hazelnuts were supposed to be ground. It was a wet mess last night but it set up in the fridge and the texture is enjoyable today. The flavors are so good, and I love the look of the slice pear fans. While decorating it that way was a little time consuming, it was fun and I’m impressed how forgiving it is! Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you for trying the recipe! Happy to hear you enjoyed it and I’m glad it worked it even without the ground hazelnuts!
I love this recipe! I have an abundance of fresh pears from my trees, and this is a perfect blend of flavors!
Was lucky enough to taste this, and it was even more delicious than it looks on photo! Finished it off, crumbs and all :) Yum!