chocolate pear cake.

So it happens to be the end of reading week, fundamentally different from spring break because it isn't actually a break.  No classes, yes, but 8000 assignments due the minute you get back. 

However, since we actually have multiple days off it's rather easy to get lured into thinking you can only do fun things all day.  This was one of those days, sleep in, then go to school for like five hours...and then decide that that is enough work for one day and you should probably spend the evening baking a cake.  Best decision ever.

I had been eyeing this recipe at Smitten Kitchen for a while and decided it was finally time to go for it, brown butter, pears and chocolate. Do you need any other reason to make this?  I don't particularly think so.

I chose to make it with whole wheat flour, so it didn't rise as high but it was still delicious, I would totally make it with whole wheat again!

chocolate and pear cake.

slightly modified from smitten kitchen

1/2  cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder
3 eggs

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar
3 pears, in a small dice

3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and dust with flour.

Sift the flour and baking powder together, set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs on high speed until pale and very thick. (like 10 minutes.)

While the eggs are whipping, brown the butter. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan (because it will foam a lot) and cook it until the butter browns and smells nutty (about 6 to 8 minutes). It helps to frequently scrape the solids off the bottom of the pan in the last couple minutes to ensure even browning. Remove from the heat but keep in a warm spot.

Add the sugar to the eggs and whip a few minutes more.

Just as the egg-sugar mixture is starting to loose volume, turn the mixture down to stir, and add the flour mixture and brown butter. Add one third of the flour mixture, then half of the butter, a third of the flour, the remaining butter, and the rest of flour. Whisk until just barely combined — no more than a minute from when the flour is first added — and then use a spatula to gently fold the batter until the ingredients are combined. It is very important not to over-whisk or fold the batter or it will lose volume.
Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle the pear and chocolate chunks over the top, and bake until the cake is golden brown and springs back to the touch, about 40 to 50 minutes or a tester comes out clean.

This was the best afternoon snack.  Enjoy! xo.

oh and some fun things from this week.  Mainly pyrex bowls and wearing three colours at once...