Chocolate, wine, and pear cake: a winter delight
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes
Total time: 2 hours and 50 minutes (including cooling time)
Servings: 10
Discover a quick and sophisticated dessert recipe: chocolate, wine, and pear cake. This cake perfectly blends sweet and slightly spicy flavors, resulting in a treat that will delight any winter table. The fluffy base, smooth cheese cream, and caramelized pears in red wine make this cake an ideal choice for special occasions or simply to indulge yourself.
Ingredients needed:
*For the cake base:*
- 5 eggs
- 125 g sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa
- 80 g flour
- 50 g cornstarch
- 75 g dark chocolate (grated)
- a pinch of salt
*For the cream:*
- 400 g sour cream
- 250 g sweet cream cheese
- 80 g vanilla sugar
- 75 g grated chocolate
- 2 packets of gelatin
- 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional)
*For decoration:*
- 6 pears
- 350 ml sweet red wine
- 250 g sugar
- a cinnamon stick
- a teaspoon of mulled wine spices
Step by step:
1. Preparing the base:
Start by preheating the oven to 180°C. In a bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until you get a firm foam. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture becomes glossy and stiff. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then gently fold them into the egg white foam.
Sift the flour, cornstarch, and cocoa together, then add them to the egg mixture. Finally, fold in the grated chocolate.
Grease a cake pan with oil and line it with parchment paper. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Let the base cool completely, then cut it in half horizontally.
2. Preparing the cream:
In a large bowl, combine the sour cream with the cream cheese and vanilla sugar. Hydrate the gelatin in 100 ml of cold water, then melt it in a bain-marie without boiling. Incorporate the melted gelatin and grated chocolate into the sour cream and cheese mixture.
3. Caramelizing the pears:
Peel the pears, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Make a light score on the curved side with a fork. In a tall pot, boil the red wine with the sugar, cinnamon stick, and mulled wine spices. When the wine starts to boil, add the pears and let them simmer on low heat for 20 minutes (or 10 minutes if the pears are very soft). After boiling, let the pears cool in the wine syrup.
4. Assembling the cake:
In a springform pan, place the first disc of cake. Pour the cheese cream over it, then place the second disc of cake, which you have pricked in several places with a fork. Decorate the cake with the pear halves arranged around the edge, curved side down, and with the whole pear in the center.
Pour the gelatin prepared according to the package instructions, using the remaining wine syrup.
5. Cooling and serving:
Let the cake chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours for the cream to set. When ready, cut it into thin slices and serve it with a glass of sweet red wine.
Personal suggestion: for an extra flavor boost, you can add some toasted nuts or chocolate flakes on top of the cake before serving. This simple and refined chocolate, wine, and pear cake recipe will surely become a favorite among your loved ones!
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes
Total time: 2 hours and 50 minutes (including cooling time)
Servings: 10
Discover a quick and sophisticated dessert recipe: chocolate, wine, and pear cake. This cake perfectly blends sweet and slightly spicy flavors, resulting in a treat that will delight any winter table. The fluffy base, smooth cheese cream, and caramelized pears in red wine make this cake an ideal choice for special occasions or simply to indulge yourself.
Ingredients needed:
*For the cake base:*
- 5 eggs
- 125 g sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa
- 80 g flour
- 50 g cornstarch
- 75 g dark chocolate (grated)
- a pinch of salt
*For the cream:*
- 400 g sour cream
- 250 g sweet cream cheese
- 80 g vanilla sugar
- 75 g grated chocolate
- 2 packets of gelatin
- 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional)
*For decoration:*
- 6 pears
- 350 ml sweet red wine
- 250 g sugar
- a cinnamon stick
- a teaspoon of mulled wine spices
Step by step:
1. Preparing the base:
Start by preheating the oven to 180°C. In a bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until you get a firm foam. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture becomes glossy and stiff. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then gently fold them into the egg white foam.
Sift the flour, cornstarch, and cocoa together, then add them to the egg mixture. Finally, fold in the grated chocolate.
Grease a cake pan with oil and line it with parchment paper. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Let the base cool completely, then cut it in half horizontally.
2. Preparing the cream:
In a large bowl, combine the sour cream with the cream cheese and vanilla sugar. Hydrate the gelatin in 100 ml of cold water, then melt it in a bain-marie without boiling. Incorporate the melted gelatin and grated chocolate into the sour cream and cheese mixture.
3. Caramelizing the pears:
Peel the pears, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Make a light score on the curved side with a fork. In a tall pot, boil the red wine with the sugar, cinnamon stick, and mulled wine spices. When the wine starts to boil, add the pears and let them simmer on low heat for 20 minutes (or 10 minutes if the pears are very soft). After boiling, let the pears cool in the wine syrup.
4. Assembling the cake:
In a springform pan, place the first disc of cake. Pour the cheese cream over it, then place the second disc of cake, which you have pricked in several places with a fork. Decorate the cake with the pear halves arranged around the edge, curved side down, and with the whole pear in the center.
Pour the gelatin prepared according to the package instructions, using the remaining wine syrup.
5. Cooling and serving:
Let the cake chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours for the cream to set. When ready, cut it into thin slices and serve it with a glass of sweet red wine.
Personal suggestion: for an extra flavor boost, you can add some toasted nuts or chocolate flakes on top of the cake before serving. This simple and refined chocolate, wine, and pear cake recipe will surely become a favorite among your loved ones!