• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Julia's Album
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Salads
  • Chicken
  • Pasta
  • Seafood
  • Side Dishes
  • Recipe Index
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Salads
    • Chicken
    • Pasta
    • Seafood
    • Side Dishes
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Chocolate Pear Cake

    Published: Feb 06, 2014 / 101 Comments

    9.2K shares
    • Facebook582
    Recipe Print

    Chocolate Pear Cake - chocolate and pears go really well together in this easy cake!  This cake makes a perfect breakfast and dessert!

    Chocolate pear cake

    I made this chocolate pear cake quite a while ago and really liked it, even though never before have I combined chocolate cake batter and pears. As I luckily discovered, pears and chocolate cake work really well together in this easy-to-prepare, everyday cake. Especially if you have a couple of very ripe pears that you don't know what to do with.

    Chocolate cake with pears

    The original recipe called for caramelizing the pears and placing them on the bottom of the baking pan for an upside-down cake effect, but I didn't want to caramelize the pears I had because they were too soft and overly ripe already.

    Instead, I just placed chopped fresh pears on top of the cake batter, expecting the cake batter to rise evenly around the pears. The cake did rise around the pears, but in very select places as you can see for yourself on the photos. Still, the cake looked reasonably pretty, especially when dusted with confectionery sugar, and, what's more important, tasted really good!

    Chocolate pear cake

    This chocolate pear cake recipe is good on many levels: it's easy-to-make, it's delicious, the chocolate cake texture is just right, and this dessert has fruit in it which is what I love. It's one of those recipes I will definitely try again. Maybe next time, I'll fold the pears directly into the batter (instead of putting them on top) or will use different fruit or berries.

    Chocolate pear cake

    Recipe Notes

    • What baking pan to use?  Use a 9×9 inch square pan or 9 inch round springform pan. If using a springform pan, line the bottom of the springform pan with a round piece of parchment paper.
    • After your cake is baked, dust it with powdered sugar before serving: it will make this tasty cake look really pretty!
    chocolate pear cake
    4.95 from 54 votes

    Chocolate pear cake

    Pears and chocolate cake work really well together in this easy-to-prepare, everyday cake. Perfect breakfast or dessert recipe. 
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories per serving 225 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • ⅓ cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
    • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup unsalted butter
    • 4 ounces dark chocolate , chopped
    • ¾ cup granulated sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • ½ cup whole milk
    • 3 pears ripe, peeled, cored, and chopped into large chunks

    Instructions 

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    • Grease a 9×9 inch square pan or 9 inch round springform pan. If using a springform pan, line the bottom of the springform pan with a round piece of parchment paper.
    • In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt - mix to combine.
    • Melt the butter and dark chocolate in a small bowl, using a microwave, or on a stove top in a small pan over low heat. Stir well.
    • Transfer melted chocolate mixture to a large mixing bowl, add granulated sugar, and, using electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until the mixture is light in color. Add eggs and vanilla and continue beating to combine. Add flour mixture and milk, alternating between the two in two additions, into the chocolate mixture.
    • Pour the cake batter into the baking pan and place chopped pears on top of the cake batter. Alternatively, you can fold in chopped pears into the cake batter before adding the cake batter into the baking pan.
    • Bake for about 45 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out reasonably clean and the cake bounces when touched.
    • Cool on a wire rack for 15-30 minutes. If using springform pan, release the cake when completely cooled.
    • Dust with powdered sugar before serving: it will make this tasty cake look really pretty!

    Notes

    Adapted from Epicurious

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Chocolate pear cake
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    225
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    9
    g
    14
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    5
    g
    31
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    38
    mg
    13
    %
    Sodium
     
    111
    mg
    5
    %
    Potassium
     
    190
    mg
    5
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    33
    g
    11
    %
    Fiber
     
    3
    g
    13
    %
    Sugar
     
    19
    g
    21
    %
    Protein
     
    3
    g
    6
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    185
    IU
    4
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    1.9
    mg
    2
    %
    Calcium
     
    32
    mg
    3
    %
    Iron
     
    2.1
    mg
    12
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Keyword chocolate fruit cake, pear cake
    Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!
    « Easy Crepes with Jam or Fruit Preserves
    Roasted Cornish Hen and Vegetables »
    9.2K shares
    • Facebook582

    Please share your comment and Star Rating in the comments section below.

    I appreciate your feedback!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Renee

      January 28, 2022 at 5:51 pm

      Hi, thanks for this recipe, which looks great. I don't have any dark chocolate on hand, but I do have bittersweet bars. Can I use them as a substitute? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Julia

        February 11, 2022 at 8:48 pm

        Yes, those should work just fine!

        Reply
    2. Kim Trask

      November 28, 2021 at 3:34 am

      I'm going to make this cake today 28th November, for my husband's birthday. The big juice pear I will use comes from the ancient pear tree next to our kitchen door here in Normandy France . Amazing to think this pear comes from the pretty blossom that graced the tree last spring.

      Reply
      • Julia

        November 29, 2021 at 10:31 pm

        Kim, the way you described your pear tree is so poetic - love it! 🙂 Very jealous that you have your own pear tree - I love pears and eat them all the time as a snack!

        Reply
    3. Shane Meeker

      November 14, 2021 at 11:57 am

      I retired and then about 6 months later COVID hit. Like a lot of other people, judging from the flour shelf at the supermarket, I decided to try baking bread and it has taken off from there. Much to the surprise of everybody in my family, I seem to be pretty good at this.

      I have a friend in town whose single pear tree produces a truckload of pears and he's always happy to give them away. Melina's comment here captured my attempt because his pears are nice, but don't have much of a pear flavor.

      Your receipe was easy to follow and the result is certainly a family pleaser! Thanks very much for taking the time to post this!

      Reply
      • Julia

        November 18, 2021 at 4:06 pm

        Shane, your comment truly made my day! I love when there is a story shared behind making each recipe - and I love your story. Glad the recipe was enjoyed! And thank you for taking the time to share this wonderful comment!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Julia! / Welcome to my recipe blog where I share easy-to-make weeknight dinners and other recipes using simple ingredients!

    The recipes presented on this site are everyday, familiar foods, cooked from scratch.

    More about me →

    Summer Recipes

    • Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
    • Basil Pesto Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Bake
    • Smoked Paprika Chicken with Creamed Spinach
    • Creamy Sausage Gnocchi - One-Pan, 30-Minute Meal

    JOIN ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Privacy and Disclosure

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    About

    • About
    • Featured On
    • Contact Me

    Connect on Social Media

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram

    Copyright © 2021 JuliasAlbum.com

    Site Design: Foodie Pro Theme by Feast Design Co.