French chocolate pear cake

Kasha's Note:

A fast, easy, and cheap French cake. It keeps a week, and is better when a little old. If I want to dress it up, I serve it with creme anglaise or whipped cream. Recipe originally from one of my adult students, Yves.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 cup flour, plus
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 6 egg whites
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 4 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 (32 ounce) can pear halves in natural juice, drained and cubed

Directions:

1. Spray a 9 or 10" pan, ideally a springform, with cooking spray.
2. Combine egg whites, sugar and vanilla, add and stir in cocoa, flour and baking powder.
3. Stir in apple sauce.
4. Carefully stir in the cubed pears, (count out 6 half-pears, eat any extras).
5. Pour batter into greased pan and bake at 350° for about 45 minutes.
6. Cool and unmold, dust with cocoa and/or powdered sugar to decorate.

Reviews

[shhthisisjanelle]

Made this for an ambitious 7 course meal for some friends. The cake seemed way too dense and the pear flavor got overwhelmed by the chocolate. It was definitely good, in the way that chocolate and fruit will always taste good together, but not a new or exciting flavor.

[amatteson]

Unfortunately this cake didn't get rave reviews when I made it. The pears do add a slight sweetness, but the cake was very dense and the chocolate taste was the cocoa. If you're looking for a great chocolate pear recipe, I would recommend Chocolate Pear Pudding by Nigella Lawson on the Food Network website.

[Vino p.o. prn]

Lightly sweet from the pears with a nice chocolate flavor. Made for dinner with our parents and it went over very well!