Let Them Eat (Pear Chocolate Chunk) Cake!

SO yummy, it disappeared before I could catch the whole cake!

Sadly, I have to admit that I am not the most inventive cook. At best, I gather multiple versions of a recipe, integrate all the ingredients that appeal to me, and what to seem  to be the best techniques, and hope for the ultimate version of the recipe. This has been more or less successful with a few things- tuna tapenade and cassoulet come to mind. Still perfecting pan bagnat, though. No one has come up with a solution to the sogginess problem

 I also am a rather impatient cook. Far be it for me to make three or more versions of the same recipe with slight alterations to see which works best. Definitely not America's Test Kitchen material.

So, I am inordinately proud of this new Pear Chocolate Chunk Cake which morphed out of the well-loved Zucchini Orange Cake. I switched out the orange juice for milk, substituted pears for zucchini, and added a chocolate ganache. Somewhat miraculously, it was sublime at the first go- moist with a wonderful crumb and a lovely symphony of flavors.  Just lucky, I guess....

Pear Chocolate Chunk Cake
3 c. flour
3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 c. butter, softened
1 3/4 c.  sugar
2 t. vanilla
4 eggs
1/2 c. milk
3 firm pears (they will soften when baked in the cake)
Juice of ½ a lemon combined with cold water in a medium size mixing bowl
1 ½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips
1 c. chopped pecans

Chocolate Ganache Topping
8oz semisweet chocolate
2 Tb sugar
½ c. whipping cream
3 1/2 Tb butter
2 t. vanilla
2 Tb pear liqueur (optional, but it really adds to the flavor profile)

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10” tube pan.

Peel and core the pears, and cut them into ½” diameter chunks. Immerse them in the lemon water to prevent discoloration.

Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together.

Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed about 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. (This makes the cake tender.)

Beat in the vanilla and eggs one at a time.  While you are beating in the eggs, drain the pear chunks and dry them on a double layer of paper towels.

Hand stir in the dry ingredients, alternately with the milk.  Stir in the pear chunks, chocolate chunks, and pecans.

Spread the batter evenly in the tube pan. Bake about 50-60 minutes (or until done). The cake will be brown, firm to the touch, and pulling away from the edges of the pan. (The internal temperature in the middle should be 185-195 F degrees.)

Let the cake cool on a rack 10 minutes, then turn out the cake, and slide it back on the rack to cool completely. When the cake has cooled completely, move it to a platter.

Make the ganache:
Chop the semi-sweet chocolate into chunks and place it in a small saucepan with the cream, butter and sugar.  Stir over low heat until all the chocolate has melted and it is smooth. Add the vanilla and pear liqueur.  Allow the ganache to cool until it is spreadable and the consistency of softly whipped cream.

Place strips of foil around the bottom of the cake to catch any drips, and drizzle or smear on the chocolate ganache with a spatula or table knife.

Serves 10-12. Keep in a cool place or refrigerator for a day or two, at most.