Chocolate Cake with Pears poached in Red Wine

Ingredients :
Pears poached in Red Wine:

  • Pears – 3-4
  • Wine reduction (i got mine from them, when we were in South Africa) -200ml  (or) Red wine – 500ml
  • Sugar – 50gm 
  • Water – 100 ml 
  • Cinnamon – 2 sticks
  • Star Anise – 3-4 

Chocolate Cake:

  • Flour  - 120gm 
  • Sugar – 100gm 
  • Butter – 100gm 
  • Eggs – 2 
  • Dark Chocolate (melted) – 50gm 
  • Cocoa powder – 50gm 
  • Baking powder – 1 teaspoon 
  • Baking soda – 1 teaspoon 
  • Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon 
  • Red wine sauce from pears – 50ml 
  • Walnuts – 50gm 

Red Wine Glaze:

  • Red Wine reduced sauce – 2 -3 tablespoons
  • Icing sugar – 150-200gm (depending on how thick and sweet you want the glaze)

Method:
Pears poached in Red Wine:

  • Skin the pears, without breaking the stems. 
  • In a heavy bottom pan, add the red wine reduction/ red wine , sugar, cinnamon and star anise. 
  • Place the pears in the pan. 
  • Cook it on a low heat, occasionally turning it around. ( The house smells like christmas when this is cooking! a warm Gluehwein aroma filled house, i think it will be particularly amazing on a rainy day 😉 )
  • Cook it until the pears are soft or until the red wine is reduced to less than half. 

Chocolate cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line and grease the loaf tin/ cake tin. 
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light, smooth and fluffy. 
  • Add and beat one egg at a time. 
  • Add the melted dark chocolate. 
  • Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder into the bowl alternating with the red wine reduced sauce from the pears. 
  • Fold in half of the walnuts in the batter. 
  • Mix and fold thoroughly until completely incorporated. 
  • Pour half the batter into the tin as a layer and arrange the pears slightly dipped in the batter. 
  • Pour the rest of the batter around the pears. 
  • slightly tap the cake /loaf tin on the kitchen counter for the batter to settle. 
  • Sprinkle the remaining walnuts on the top of the batter. 
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes, Check with a skewer to see if completely baked. 
  • Once baked, let it cool on a cooling rack. 

Red Wine Glaze:

  • In a small bowl, add the red wine sauce or red wine. 
  • Sift the icing sugar and mix until you reach the required consistency. 
  • Pour the glaze over the cooled cake. 
Slice and enjoy! 
Happy Baking 
​xx

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