Chocolate and Pear Sponge Cake

Original Recipe

Equipment

• 23cm or 8inch loose-bottomed cake tin

Oven Temperatures

preheated oven, 180C 350F GM4

Ingredients

• 175g or 6oz butter, softened
• 157g or 6oz soft brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 150g or 5½oz self-raising flour
• 15g or ½oz cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 small pears, peeled, cored and sliced
• 2 small pears, peeled, cored and diced
• chocolate, for drizzling

Instructions

1. Grease and line the cake tin.
2. Cream together the butter and soft brown sugar untill pale and fluffy.
3. Gradually add the beaten eggs to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
4. Sieve the self-raising flour and cocoa powder into the creamed mixture and fold in gently until all of the ingredients are combined.
5. Stir in the milk and diced pear.
6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin.
7. Level the surface with the back of a spoon or a knife.
8. Arrange the pear slices on top of the cake mixture, around the edge of the tin.
9. Bake in a preheated oven, 180C 350F GM4 for about 1 hour until the cake is just firm to the touch.
10. Leave the cake to cool in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack until completely cold before serving.
11. Serve with melted chocolate drizzled over the top. (Melt the chocolate in a bain marie.)

Variation

This variation is moister and works well for freezing in slices. We also found the decoration on top of the original recipe got tough and chewy.

Equipment

• 2 1.5lb loaf tins

Oven Temperatures

preheated oven, 180C 350F GM4

Ingredients

• 175g or 6oz butter, softened
• 157g or 6oz soft brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 150g or 5½oz self-raising flour
• 15g or ½oz cocoa powder or a little more if you want
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 soft or over-ripe pear, mushed with a fork, potato masher or hand blender
• 1 ripe pear, chopped
• chocolate chips, some

Instructions

1. Grease and line the loaf tins (quite useful to line one way only and leave the paper sticking out so you can easily lift the cake out).
2. Cream together the butter and soft brown sugar untill pale and fluffy.
3. Gradually add the beaten eggs to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
4. Sieve the self-raising flour and cocoa powder into the creamed mixture and fold in gently until all of the ingredients are combined.
5. Stir in the milk, mushed pear, diced pear and chocolate chips.
6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins.
7. Level the surface with the back of a spoon or a knife.
8. Bake in a preheated oven, 180C 350F GM4 for about 30-40 minutes hour until the cake is just firm to the touch.
9. Leave the cake to cool at least partly in the tins before lifting out.
10. For freezing, slice into 1-2cm slicesand freeze on flat trays before putting into boxes. Microwave a slice for 20seconds for thawed or 30-40 seconds for warm. Nice hot with cream or cold.

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This page was last updated by Mad Hatter on 12th May 2001.