Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 220 g dark chocolate (good quality dairy free – chopped)
  • 130 g coconut oil
  • 75 g coconut palm sugar
  • 75 g soft light brown sugar
  • 85 g gluten free plain flour (I used GFA blend A (see NOTES))
  • 15 g cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 2 tsp GF baking powder
  • 50 g ground almonds (almond meal)
  • 100 g walnuts (rough-chopped )
  • 2 extra large eggs (I used DUCK eggs which are a minimum 70g (in shell) weight and usually a little larger. (see NOTES))
  • 50 ml almond milk (or alternative)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1½ pears (peeled, cored and cut into small cubes)
  • 50 g dark (dairy free chocolate chips)
  • additional walnut halves to decorate

Instruction

  • Base-line a 9 inch loose-bottomed cake tin (round or square) with baking paper.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
  • In a small saucepan, melt together the chocolate, coconut oil and two sugars. Stir until well-blended. Do not allow to boil.
  • In a large bowl, weigh and mix together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, ground almonds and chopped walnuts.
  • Add the chocolate-sugar liquid to the bowl and beat well with a silicone or wooden spoon.
  • Set aside to cool slightly, stirring intermittently.
  • In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, almond milk and vanilla extract until well-blended.
  • Add the beaten egg mix to the cooled chocolate batter and beat through with the spoon.
  • Fold in the pear cubes and chocolate chips.
  • Pour the batter into the cake tin and smooth the top.
  • Bake for 30 minutes at 180 C/350 F/Gas 4 before turning the oven down to 150 C/300 F/Gas 2.
  • Bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes until well risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out more or less clean with a few crumbs.
  • Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool completely. The centre of the cake may sink very slightly. This is fine. It should be very moist and a little gooey.
  • When cold, carefully remove from the tin and place on a serving plate.
  • Decorate with walnut halves (to keep them in place, stick with a little melted chocolate) and a further sprinkle of nuts and chocolate as you choose.
  • Serve on its own, with poached pears or with whipped coconut cream or double/clotted cream (if you can eat dairy).
  • Store in the fridge between ‘eats’. It will firm up, so be sure to bring back to room temperature before serving to regain a soft, gooey consistency.