Flourless Chocolate Pear Cake

5 from 2 votes

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 Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

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