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We’re not entirely sure why chocolate and pear aren’t universally known as the duo of the century. The rich depth of chocolate here complements the fresh, juicy sweetness of the pears beautifully. One bite of this cake and you’ll be a convert too 😋

You will need

Serves 12

Cake

  • 2 cups (250g) plain flour
  • 1 cup (190g) packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup (50g) cocoa powder
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 ¼ cup (315g) dairy-free milk
  • ½ cup (125g) liquid oil, of choice
  • 1 slightly ripe Buerre Bosc pear (or pear of choice), cored and chopped into 1cm cubes

To decorate

  • 1-2 slightly ripe Buerre Bosc pears (or pears of choice), cored and sliced thinly crossways

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Directions

20 mins to prep

1.25 hours to bake

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 180°C (convection) or 160°C (fan-forced). Line the bottom and sides of a 20cm round cake tin. You may use a larger cake tin for a shorter cake which will take less time to bake.

Step 2

Add all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt) to a large mixing bowl. Mix until there are no lumps. 

Step 3

Add the milk and oil and mix until just combined. Add the chopped pears and fold.

Step 4

Pour the batter into your cake tin. Smooth the top of the cake, if needed. 

Step 5

Arrange and press the pear slices into the cake. Bake the cake for around 1 hour and 10-15 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs are fine).

Step 6

 Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 30 minutes then move to a wire rack. 

Step 7

Enjoy the cake warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Variation

If you prefer your cake a little less sweet, use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar.

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