INGREDIENTS
200g good quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
70g pistachio kernels, plus extra to serve
150g butter, softened
150g castor sugar
3 eggs
150g plain flour, sieved
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 Packham pear, cored and coarsely chopped
Chocolate ganache
150g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
150ml pouring cream
METHOD
1. Pre-heat oven on Fan Plus or Cake Plus at 160°C.
2. Process chocolate and pistachios in a food processor until coarse crumbs form, set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugar in a standard mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Sieve baking powder and flour together and stir through mixture, followed by the pistachio and chocolate mixture and the pear.
5. Pour mixture into a greased and lined 22cm springform cake tin.
6. Place in the oven on shelf position 2 and bake for 35 minutes.
7. Cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out and cooling to room temperature on a wire rack.
Chocolate ganache
1. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream in a saucepan, Induction setting 6, to just below boiling. Pour cream over
chocolate and let it stand until the chocolate melts (3-5 minutes), then stir until smooth. Set ganache aside for 5-10 minutes
until thickened slightly.
2. Smooth ganache over the top and sides of the cake, scatter with pistachios and let stand for 20 minutes to set prior to serving.