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flourless chocolate pear cake
5 from 2 votes

Flourless Chocolate Pear Cake

Gluten-free chocolate pear cake is made with melted chocolate, whipped eggs, and ground hazelnuts. Best enjoyed with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream!
Yield: 9-inch cake
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 264kcal
Author: Maryanne Cabrera

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 35-45 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

Alternative Assembly Method:
  • Use thinly sliced pears instead of halves
  • Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over batter before baking
  • Generously add large chunks of dark chocolate before baking
However, the cake will be a little more difficult to slice with the extra hazelnuts on top. Use a serrated knife to ensure clean slices.
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.
ADAPTED FROM BBC GOOD FOOD

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 87mg, Sodium: 76mg, Potassium: 218mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 390IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 2mg