Update: My recipe for salted chocolate pear pound cake won the dessert category!
I am taking part in the “USA Pears Blogger Recipe Challenge”. It’s holiday time and I am delighted to share my delicious dessert recipe for with you!
USA pears are at the peak of freshness right now, so I’m simply happy to accept this challenge using this beautiful versatile fruit. The fact that northwest pears come in 10 varieties and work well in both savory and sweet dishes got my creative juices flowing. I personally love Bosc and Anjou pears for baking.
First up in the Baking category is what I like to call my “bake two share one” recipe. This recipe for The Best Salted Chocolate Pear Pound Cake allows you to indulge yourself as well as a friend. Friendsgiving is a thing. Wrapped and tied with a bow it makes the perfect hostess gift or teacher present. No better way to show your gratitude than with this stunning homemade cake.
I can’t tell you how much I love this gorgeous moist and flavorful cake. Scented with the warmth of cardamom, coffee and a burst of chocolate flavor this cake is filled with chunks of juicy pears and simply dusted with flaked salt and powdered sugar.
And here is a tip on how to tell if a pear is ripe. Just press your finger into the neck end of the pear. If the stem moves it’s perfectly ripe, juicy and delicious. For more information on USA pears click here and on their social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram) @usapears.
Salted Chocolate Pear Pound Cake
- Yield: Makes 2 loaves.
Description
This is easier than it looks and a real showstopper of a cake.
Ingredients
4 firm ripe USA Pears, (2 Bosc pears plus 2 Anjou)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups hot water
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
Flaked finishing salt
Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven 350F. Spray two 8-9 inch x 5-inch loaf pans with baking spray. Line pans with strips of parchment paper and lightly spray paper.
- Slice the Bosc pears in half lengthwise just off center from the stem. Do not peel. Place the pear, cut-side down, on a mandoline and thinly slice. You will need 6 slices of pear for each pan. (I like to cut 3 slices from each half.) Remove seeds from slices, if needed.
- Gently press 3 slices of pear along each side of the long side of loaf pan.
- Peel, core and small dice the Anjou pears. Toss diced pears with 2 tablespoons of flour until coated; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt; set aside.
- Stir water and espresso powder together until espresso is dissolved; set aside.
- In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar for 3 to 4 minutes or until well combined. Add eggs; blend well. With mixer at low speed, gradually add half of the dry ingredients. Slowly add coffee until combined. Add remaining dry mixture; blend well scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Fold in diced pears and excess flour.
- Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 65 to 70 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan before turning out on a wire rack to cool. Remove parchment and turn cakes upright.
- Sprinkle top of cake with flaked salt while cake is still warm. Cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar just before slicing and serving.
Anjou pear is one of my favorite fruits.
And they are so delicious right now. Trying to get my fill!
Looks scrumptious!
I hope you give it a try
This looks delicious. I’m not a baker, but I’m going to try to make it. Thank you for sharing Lisa.
I think you will find this recipe easy to make. Here is the recipe if you would only like to make 1 loaf instead of two.
Salted Chocolate Pear Pound Cake
2 firm ripe USA Pears, 1 Bosc pear plus 1 Anjou
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup hot water
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
Flaked finishing salt
Powdered sugar
Heat oven 350F. Spray an 8 x 5-inch loaf pan with baking spray. Line pan with strips of parchment paper and lightly spray paper. Slice the Bosc pear in half lengthwise just off center from the stem. Place the pear, cut-side down, on a mandoline and thinly slice. You will need 8 slices of pear. Remove seeds from slices. Gently press 3 slices of pear into long sides of loaf pan and 1 slice on either end. Peel, core and small dice the Anjou pears measuring 1 cup of pears. Toss diced pears with 1 tablespoon of flour until coated; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt; set aside. Stir water and espresso powder together until espresso is dissolved; set aside. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar for 3 to 4 minutes or until well combined. Add egg; blend well. With mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Slowly add coffee until combined. Add remaining dry mixture; blend well scraping down sides of bowl and beater as needed. Fold in diced pears and excess flour. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 65 to 70 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan before turning out on a wire rack to cool. Remove parchment. Sprinkle top of cake with flaked salt while cake is still warm. Dust with powdered sugar just before slicing and serving. Makes 1 loaf.