Poached pear chocolate cake

This is a dessert cake with real wow factor, but it’s surprisingly easy to make.

Easy/Prepare ahead • Ready in 1 hr 45 mins, plus cooling • Serves 12

for the poached pears

4-6 large unripe pears 75cl bottle red wine 150g sugar

2 cinnamon sticks for the cake

150g dark chocolate 50g crème fraîche 120g butter, softened 120g caster sugar

4 eggs

80g ground almonds

40g plain flour

1tbsp cocoa powder 1tbsp baking powder you will need a large loaf tin, about 28-30cm, greased and lined with a good overlap of baking parchment on all sides 1

Peel the pears then put them into a small saucepan where they fit snugly, upright. add the wine, sugar and cinnamon. Cook gently until the sugar has melted then cover with a small plate to keep them submerged. simmer for 30 mins or until just tender. trim the base so they stand straight in the tin. allow them to cool out of the wine on kitchen paper while you make the cake. at this point you can reduce the wine and cinnamon to a syrup to serve with the cake. let it bubble for about 20 mins or until thick. set aside to cool.

2 Heat the oven to 180C, gas 4. Put the chocolate and crème fraîche in a heatproof bowl and melt over simmering water. Whisk the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. add the eggs one at a time and beat well between each addition. stir in the chocolate mixture.

3 Mix together the almonds, flour, cocoa and baking powder. Fold into the cake mix, put into the tin then insert the pears in the centre in a straight line. bake for 1 hr, covering after 30 mins, and leave to cool on a wire rack for 30 mins before carefully removing it from the tin. serve with the syrup, if using, and some clotted cream.