This recipe makes an intensely-flavored chocolate pear cake, with a tender crumb from almond flour and a moist texture from tender wine-poached pears. Enjoy this cake as the capper to a relaxed dinner, or daytime snack with a cup of good brewed coffee or espresso.

A whole chocolate pear cake on a surface, with a dusting of cocoa powder.

This chocolate pear cake recipe riffs on a classic French-style flourless cake. It’s made with almond flour instead of wheat flour, which means the texture of the cake is just as rich and fudgy as you could wish for.

When I consider all these chocolate recipes in my life, it always comes down to the texture of straight-up chocolate. This dessert pushes all the buttons. Not only is it easy to make, the combo of silky wine-poached fruit with dark chocolate is pretty seductive.

A slice of chocolate cake on a white plate with sliced pears fanned on top and espresso cup on the side

Why bother to make a chocolate cake with pears when you could just keep it simple and make a plain old chocolate cake? I asked myself the same question. When I first time I baked this cake I was smitten. I became a little obsessed with the idea of tasting melt-in-your-mouth, tangy-sweet pear at the same time as a bite of rich chocolate cake.

Slices of chocolate pear cake on plates, with a cup of espresso on the side.

The pear slices sink into the batter as the cake bakes, forming little pockets of chocolate goo around each one. It’s a simple detail that turns out to be seriously sensual and delicious.

Flourless Chocolate Pear Cake
4.91 from 21 ratings

Flourless Chocolate Pear Cake

Karen Tedesco
This recipe makes an intensely-flavored chocolate pear cake, with a tender crumb from almond flour and a moist texture from tender wine-poached pears. Enjoy this cake as the capper to a relaxed dinner, or daytime snack with a cup of good brewed coffee or espresso.
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Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients
 

Yield: One 9-inch cake

For the poached pears:

  • 2 semi-ripe pears, Bartlett or Bosc, peeled
  • 1 cup (250 ml) fruity white wine, such as moscato or riesling
  • ¾ cup (180 g) sugar
  • ¾ cup (185 ml) water

For the cake:

  • 6 ounces (175 g) chopped dark chocolate
  • 8 tablespoons (113 g) butter (1 stick), cut into tablespoon-size pieces
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (56 g) almond flour
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder or confectioner’s sugar, for serving

Instructions
 

To make the pears

  1. Slice the pears in half in remove the cores. Stir the wine, sugar and water together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the pears and cook until they're tender when pierced, about 25 minutes. Cool. (The pears can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate in the syrup).

To make the cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350 (175 C) degrees with the rack in the center. Grease an 8 or 9-inch springform pan.
  2. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering (not boiling) water. When the chocolate is almost melted, add the butter and stir until it melts. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, almond flour and salt. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly, then stir in the egg yolks.
  3. Whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until they form stiff peaks. Fold the half the egg whites into the chocolate. Add the remaining whites and fold until no streaks are visible.
  4. Scrape the batter into the pan. Drain the pear halves (keep the syrup for another use). Slice each into thirds or quarters and arrange on top of the batter. Bake the cake 30 – 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  5. Cool the cake 10 minutes on a rack, then release the pan sides and allow to cool completely. 
  6. Dust the cake lightly with cocoa or confectioner’s sugar. Slice and serve.

Notes

  • Save the pear poaching syrup — add some to sparkling wine or soda water to make a refreshing drink.
  • The cake will keep up to 3 days, wrapped and stored at room temperature.
Recipe adapted from Florentine: The True Cuisine of Florence

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 452kcal Carbohydrates: 51g Protein: 5g Fat: 26g Sodium: 194mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 43g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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