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.