This pear, chocolate and cardamom cake is a tender, buttery almond cake layered with sliced pears and pockets of melted dark chocolate, with just enough cardamom to make every bite taste like fall. It's naturally gluten-free when you use a gluten-free flour, and it looks far fancier than the effort it takes.
Pears and chocolate are a classic combination, but it's the cardamom that really makes this cake. On the surface it looks like a simple pear and chocolate cake, and then that warm, floral, slightly citrusy spice shows up and turns it into something special. Compared with the original cookbook version, this one uses brown sugar for a richer, more caramel-like flavor, twice the pear, extra chocolate, and a hidden layer of pear and chocolate right through the middle.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Salted butter. Softened to room temperature so it creams properly with the sugar. If you only have unsalted butter, use it and add ¼ teaspoon of fine salt to the batter.
- Brown sugar. Light or dark both work. Brown sugar gives the cake a deeper, toffee-like flavor that's lovely with pears, a trick that works just as well in our salted caramel chocolate tart. Pack it into the cup if you're measuring by volume.
- Eggs. Five large eggs, ideally at room temperature, give this cake its structure, since there's very little flour and no baking powder.
- Ground almonds. Also sold as almond flour or almond meal. They're the base of the cake and keep the crumb moist for days. Blanched almond flour gives a finer, paler crumb; almond meal made with skins gives a more rustic look.
- Gluten-free flour. A cup-for-cup blend such as King Arthur Measure for Measure keeps this cake gluten-free. If gluten isn't a concern, plain all-purpose flour works exactly the same way.
- Ground cardamom. A full tablespoon gives a bold, fragrant cardamom flavor. Use a fresh jar, like Simply Organic ground cardamom, because the aroma fades with age. For a gentler spice level, start with 2 teaspoons.
- Pears. Two firm-but-ripe pears, peeled and sliced. Bosc and Anjou hold their shape best; very soft, juicy pears can make the cake soggy.
- Dark chocolate. A 70% cocoa bar, roughly chopped, melts into rich pockets. Dark chocolate chips work too, although they hold their shape more.
- Caster sugar. A light sprinkle over the pears before the final bake gives a crackly, sparkly top. Granulated sugar is a fine substitute.
Helpful Tips
Cream the butter and sugar well. Beat them for a good 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is pale and fluffy. There's no baking powder in this cake, so the air you beat in here (along with the eggs) is what gives it lift.
Add the eggs slowly. Pour the beaten eggs in a little at a time with the mixer on low. If the batter starts to look curdled, add a spoonful of the ground almonds and keep going; it will come back together.
Slice the pears evenly. Aim for slices about ¼ inch thick so they soften at the same rate. Slice them just before you need them, or toss them with a squeeze of lemon juice so they don't brown while you make the batter.
Don't skip the mid-bake topping. Adding the top layer of pear and chocolate after 20 minutes, once the batter has started to set, stops the fruit from sinking and gives the cake its pretty, arranged top. Work quickly so the oven doesn't lose too much heat.
Test the cake, not the chocolate. When you check for doneness, push a skewer into a spot without chocolate. It should come out with just a few moist crumbs, and the center should spring back when pressed. If the top browns before the middle is cooked, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it for the last 10 to 15 minutes.
Variations
- Change the spice. Swap the cardamom for 2 teaspoons of cinnamon plus ½ teaspoon of ground ginger, or use a chai spice blend for a cozy twist. Love cardamom? Try it in our cardamom cookies with lemon and pistachios too.
- Use different fruit. Thinly sliced apples or halved plums both work well. Apples need slightly thinner slices since they stay firmer.
- Hazelnut version. Replace the ground almonds with ground hazelnuts for a nutty, Nutella-like pairing with the chocolate.
- Add orange. Stir the finely grated zest of one orange into the batter. Orange, chocolate and cardamom are a wonderful trio.
- Make it dairy-free. Use a firm dairy-free butter block and dairy-free dark chocolate. The cake still contains eggs, so it isn't vegan.
- Try an upside-down cake. If you love pear cakes, our pear and vanilla upside-down cake is another great way to show off fall pears.
Serving Ideas
Serve this cake at room temperature or slightly warm, when the chocolate is still soft. A dollop of lightly whipped cream, crème fraîche or thick Greek yogurt balances the richness, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream turns it into a proper dinner-party dessert. For a dairy-free topping, try our vegan whipped cream.
It's also a lovely afternoon cake with a cup of coffee or chai, and it's sturdy enough to travel to a potluck or Thanksgiving gathering. For a pear-themed dessert table, pair it with chai poached pears with cinnamon whipped cream, or browse our dessert recipes and gluten-free recipes for more ideas. Want to know when pears are at their best? Our guide to fall produce has you covered.
Storing & Freezing
The cake keeps well at room temperature, covered, for 1 day. Because of the fresh pears, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator after that, where it will keep for up to 4 days. Let slices come back to room temperature before serving, or warm them in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to soften the chocolate again.
To freeze, cool the cake completely, then wrap individual slices (or the whole cake) tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or warm gently in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes. The pears soften a little after freezing, but the flavor holds up beautifully.
More Cozy Cake Recipes
If you loved this cake, here are a few more you might enjoy:
- Caramelised Orange and Cardamom Upside-Down Cake
- Blood Orange Madeleines with Pistachio and Cardamom
- Apple Spice Cake
- Chocolate Quinoa Cake {vegan, gluten-free}
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 315 g salted butter, softened, 11 oz
- 315 g brown sugar, 1 ½ cups packed, light or dark
- 5 eggs, large, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 315 g ground almonds, almond flour or almond meal, 11 oz (about 3 cups)
- 50 g gluten free flour or plain flour, scant ½ cup; use gluten-free for a gluten-free cake
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamom, use 2 teaspoons for a milder flavor
- 2 ripe pears, firm-ripe Bosc or Anjou, peeled, cored and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 100 g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa, roughly chopped, 3 ½ oz
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar for dusting, or granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Line the base and sides of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the softened butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until pale and creamy.
- Turn the mixer to low and gradually pour in the beaten eggs, a little at a time. Add the ground almonds, flour and cardamom and mix on low just until combined.
- Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange half of the pear slices over the batter and scatter over half of the chopped chocolate. Spread the remaining batter on top.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the top has just started to set. Carefully take the cake out of the oven, press the remaining chocolate pieces into the top, and arrange the remaining pear slices over it in whatever pattern you like. Sprinkle the pears with the caster sugar.
- Return the cake to the oven and bake for another 40 minutes, or until it is golden, the center springs back when lightly pressed, and a skewer inserted into a chocolate-free spot comes out with just a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then release the sides and let it cool for at least 5 minutes more before slicing. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, with a dollop of cream if you like.
Stephanie - The Dessert Spoon says
Delicious! It looks so beautiful and moist. I look forward to trying this cake!
Emma Galloway says
Love the look and sound of this cake Jennifer! Beautiful photos too xx
Rosa says
A wonderful cake! What heavenly flavors.Cheers,Rosa
Brooke Schweers says
Wow could this cake get any better?! Ive been obsessed with cardamon after I discovered how well it went with stewed apple. Gorgeous flavours and a classic combination of chocolate and pear which would leave any palette happy 🙂
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
What a beautiful cake and a nice update on a classic combination of pears and chocolate.
Tegan @ Happy Healthy Whole says
Your right. What a divine combination. 🙂
My Kitchen Stories says
This is the sort of cake that I crave the most. It looks fantastic and sounds like your baking skills are tried and tested . Always better with more fruit I think too
Kathryn says
I love the flavours in this cake - pear and chocolate is a total winner but the unexpected delight of the cardamom sounds like a real treat!
Karolina says
Looks delecious . Perferct combination of flavours my favourite. This is as sort of cake I really want to try!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I was just baking with pears this morning! Love caradmom with pears and the chocolate sounds divine too!
Helen says
What a gorgeous cake! I love pear and chocolate and am intrigued about the cardamom. I'm definitely going to have to make this.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I've never been a big cake fan but add fruit and I can't get enough of it. I'd love to make this cake!
[email protected] says
Wow!!! Definitely, a cake to die for... I am drooling!!!!!
vegeTARAian says
You're right, this sounds like a wonderful flavour combination! Looks delicious
Deanna @ DB and Jelly says
Such an interesting combination of flavors! It sounds delicious and looks awesome too!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
Beautiful cake! I love all the spices and ground almonds in baked goods 🙂
JENNY says
I made this cake the other night, went to put it in my oven to find my element had blown. We cooked it in the BBQ, OMG it was superb. I had to make a few changes as I didnt have enough ground almond, I had some hazelnuts & pecans, mixed them all together and ground them. I was still 100gms short which I ended up replacing with flour. The cake was so moist, forget the calories - it was worth every one
Jennifer says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it Jenny 🙂 It's truly a fantastic cake, and a little bit unusual, and beautiful, with the cardamon in it. I'll definitely be making it again.
Kimberly says
Delicious ! I'm definitely making thisbut I have a small question, is it necessary to use salted butter ? can I use unsalted ? Thank you !
Jennifer says
No, the salted butter isn't necessary, although I'd add a little salt to the cake if you aren't using salted butter. Around 1/2 tsp. Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Emma says
I discovered cardamom a few years ago and I have to say, it is such a beautiful spice. And juicy pears in a cake? Sounds like a winner to me!
hermione says
I've just made this cake. I sub'ed 1:1 butter for coconut oil, don't! the oil dripped out of the bottom of the cake tin! I also changed the sugar to half coconut sugar and half molasses sugar - has a rich caramel taste. Tastes delish, but I would halve the amount of oil I use next time. The cardamom & pear combo is great.
Jennifer says
Thanks for the feedback Hermoine. It is always interesting to hear how different ingredient substitutions work out. The cake is very rich and buttery, so I'm not surprised to hear about the oil leaking. I think using half the amount of oil or even maybe 2/3 might be better next time. If you do try it again with the reduced oil I'd love to hear how it turns out 🙂 And yes, the cardamom and pear combination is wonderful. Definitely one of my favourites. 😀
patti says
I just served this recipe at a dinner party tonight and it was a delicious.. I ground roasted almonds that were lightly salted, so I used unsalted butter and was very pleased with the seasoning. I cubed the pear for the first layer and then for the top, I did a fan of pears around the edges, then created a rosebud out of smaller very thin pear slices for the middle. To add to its decadence I drizzled some hot caramel sauce over it when served. I did have to cook it 10 minutes longer to have it the correct firmness. It cut perfectly. The cardamon flavoring was a big hit. I toasted the cardamon seeds once I opened the pods to release their flavor and to make pulverized them in a mortar and pestle easier. I then sieved them to remove any unwanted chunks. I used regular King Arthur unbleached flour. Thanks so much.
zonderzooi says
This cake looks amazing! Love the fact that you're using things as brown sugar, always better as the white version.
linda says
baked this cake, looks just like yours. delicious too! but I did have two issues. one, the butter leaked out of the pan from the bottom and made quite a mess ! the pan seemed to be put together properly. also, had to raise the temp in the oven because it was taking so long to bake, an extra half hour to 45 mins longer. any comments would be appreciated.
Nicole @ Delicious Everyday says
I'm sorry to hear about the butter leaking Linda. I've not had that issue myself although I tend to use Push Pans (like this one http://amzn.to/1PVdU3f) when I'm baking as I find they are a little less prone to leaking than traditional springform tins. Perhaps next time you could try a regular cake tin well lined with baking paper to prevent the butter leaking. As for the extra baking time, this could be due to a couple of things, such as how juicy the pear was (if it was particularly juicy it would add to the baking time) the other is your oven calibration (a good way to test your oven is to bring it to temperature and then place an oven thermometer inside to ensure that the temperature on the dial matches the internal temperature). My final thought on the extra baking time could be due to the size of the eggs you used. I used large eggs (which in Australia weigh around 56g or 2oz). If you used larger eggs that would also have contributed to the additional baking time. I hope this helps. And I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake. It truly is a gorgeous cake. If you enjoy cardamom you might also like my orange and cardamom upside down cake. 🙂
linda says
thanks for your prompt reply, I'll try that pan.
Jen says
Meh. I was really excited about the flavors in this cake, but I didn't love the cardamom.
Nicole says
If you don't love cardamom, this is definitely not the cake for you! Thanks for trying it out.
Pip says
Love the flavour of this cake. This was my second attempt at making it & this time around I decreased the Brown Sugar & Butter (Unsalted) to 215Grams (no more oozing butter out of Springtin) & defintly sweet enough If using Large eggs 4 will do. I also used Gluten Free Flour & Ripe but still Firm pears. Cooked on fan forced for an extra 10mins after testing. Cuts really well. A firm favourite now. Could be served with Greek Style Coconut Cream & a drizzle of Honey on the side.