PEAR & CHOCOLATE CAKE (TORTA DI PERA E CIOCCOLATO)

Makes: 8 servings

1¾ oz (50 g) sugar 2 pears, peeled, cored and cut into eighths lengthwise 5½ oz (150 g) dark chocolate 3 oz (90 g) unsalted butter, cubed 3 oz (90 g) caster (superfine) sugar 3 oz (90 g) almond meal 3 eggs, separated 1 tsp (5 mL) cocoa powder for dusting pan and icing sugar for dusting cake (optional)

Combine the sugar with 2 cups (500 mL) water in a saucepan and set over medium heat. Add the pear and poach for 10-15 minutes, or until tender but not too soft (a knife should easily penetrate the flesh without any resistance). Drain and let the pear pieces cool.

Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie or double boiler. When melted, remove from the heat, add the butter and stir until the butter has melted. Add the sugar and almond meal, stirring to combine. When the mixture is cool, add the egg yolks.

Preheat the oven to 360 F (180 C). Grease an 8¾-9¼-inch (22-24-cm) round springform cake tin and dust with the cocoa powder.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to firm peaks, then fold them into the chocolate batter. Pour the chocolate mixture into the tin. Arrange the pear pieces on the top of the batter, pushing them slightly in. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

When cool, remove the cake from the cake tin and, just before serving, dust liberally with icing sugar, if desired. Serve in modest slices — this is rather rich.