PEAR DARK CHOCOLATE GINGER CAKE
PEAR DARK CHOCOLATE GINGER CAKE
Recipe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dzz-MQiN7Q
SERVES 12
FOR THE COOKIE SHARDS
120g butter, softened
45g icing sugar
150g flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1⁄2 tsp sea salt
FOR THE CAKE
200g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
4 free-range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g ground almonds
50g plain flour
2 ripe pears, peeled and each cut into thin segments
1 knob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
100g dark chocolate chips, 70% cocoa solids
FOR THE ICING
150g butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar
½ tsp ground ginger
100g cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
FOR THE DECORATIONS
Handful chocolate chips, roughly chopped
Fresh flowers (optional)
- Preheat oven to 180°C fan bake. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- First, make the cookie. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and icing sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the flour, ginger and sea salt, and combine until the mixture just comes together. Place the cookie dough onto the prepared baking tray and using your palms press out to 1cm thickness.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes until just golden around the edges.
- Set the cookie aside to cool and firm up.
- Meanwhile, make the cake. Line 2 x 22cm cake tins with baking paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, along with the vanilla.
- Gradually fold in the ground almonds, flour and salt and mix until just combined. By hand fold through the chocolate and ginger.
- Evenly divide the batter between the 2 cake tins and spread out to the sides. Dot in the pear slices and press them down lightly into the batter.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes. The cakes are ready when golden in colour, springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool for around 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, make the icing. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter by itself until smooth. Add the icing sugar and beat on high until seriously light and fluffy. Gradually add the cream cheese, followed by the vanilla and ginger. The icing should be smooth, creamy and thick.
- When the cake is fully cool, spread half of the icing onto one layer, and place the other layer directly on top. Finally, neatly spread the rest of the icing over the top of the cake and decorate with some cookie crumble, chopped chocolate chips and fresh flowers if using. You won’t need to use all the cookie so store the rest of it in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.