Chocolate Poached Pear Cake (Gluten-Free) with Chocolate Sauce

Chocolate Poached Pear Cake (Gluten-Free) with Chocolate Sauce

Here's a lovely gluten-free cake for all the family to enjoy including those who are wheat intolerant.  I've substituted wheat flour for a 50/50% mixture of ground almonds and gluten-free self raising flour. Just make sure you use a recommended cocoa powder and gluten-free chocolate... there's lots of different varieties available..read the labels or ask your store for advice.   Of course you could use regular ingredients if there's no health issues involved.   

You'll find the recipe below in both metric & cups

You will need a 7" / 18 cm round baking tin buttered & lined with baking parchment.

Set the oven to 160C / 325 F / Gas mark 3 

Ingredients:-

The Cake:-

100 gms / 1 cup ground almonds

100 gms /1 cup of gluten-free self raising flour ( I used Asda's own.. alternatively you can use rice flour with 1½ level tsps of gluten-free baking powder).

25 gms/  ¼ cup cocoa powder (do not using drinking chocolate)

150 gms/  1 stick + 2tbsps butter

150 gms / ¾ cup caster/ superfine sugar

2 large eggs

a drop of milk if needed

The Poached Pears:-

4 ripe but firm Conference Pears

2 tbsps Demerara or soft brown sugar

25grams / 2½ tbsps butter

2 tsps of grated orange zest

The Chocolate Sauce :-

75ml / 5tbsps double / half & half cream

75gms / ½ cup 70% dark chocolate ( chopped or broken into smallish pieces)

optional 1 tbsp caster sugar if you prefer a sweeter sauce...I left this out

Method,

Firstly prepare the pears by peeling them cutting into quarters and removing the core.

Melt the butter & demerara/brown sugar in a frying pan

Add the pears and the orange zest and gently poach for around 5 minutes until the pears are tender.

Leave to cool with the juice

Meanwhile make the cake batter by creaming together the butter and sugar until light & fluffy

Mix together the flour, ground almonds & cocoa powder and sift together.

Now beat one egg into the butter and sugar then add a couple of tbsps of the flour etc

Add the other egg mixing well then the remainder of the flour etc.

The batter should be of a dropping consistency if not add a drop of milk.

Now, pour the batter into a buttered 7" / 18 cms tin which has be lined with baking parchment

Arrange the cooled pears on top and pour over any remaining juices from the pan.

Bake in a pre-heated oven  160c/ 325F Gas 3 on the centre shelf for approximately 1 ¼ hours or until an skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. The cake should firm and well risen with no wobble at the centre.

Whilst the cake is baking prepare the chocolate sauce by combining all the ingredients in a bowl set over a simmering pan of water ...watch carefully stirring all the time until the chocolate is melted and the sauce dark & glossy... remove from the heat.

This dessert is delicious served warm from the oven or left to cool.  I also like to serve it with a dollop of vanilla ice cream drenched with the chocolate sauce ♥