Description
An Eye Catching, Single-Layered Chocolate Olive Oil Cake filled with Warm Spices, Citrus and Spiced Whole Pears!
Ingredients
Scale
PEARS
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons agave
- 1 tablespoon natural orange juice
- 1 teaspoon ground Cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 medium Bosc or Bartlett pears, peeled, leave stems intact
CHOCOLATE OLIVE OIL CAKE
- 1 2/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, separated
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, separated
- 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, separated
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup olive oil
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons agave or honey
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon of grated orange peel (optional)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over high heat, stir water, agave, orange juice, cardamom and ginger together; bring to a boil. Add pears and reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes or until pears are tender. Remove from heat and set pears aside until cool to touch.
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously spray the bottom and sides of a 9×5 inch (23×13 cm) baking pan with oil or butter. Line the inside of the pan with parchment paper allowing excess to hang over the long edges for easy removal; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk 1 2/3 cups flour, brown sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa, orange peel, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cardamom, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk egg, buttermilk and olive oil until just combined. Mix into the flour-mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour batter into prepared baking pan; set aside.
- In a small shallow bowl, mix 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon cocoa and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom. Roll cooled pears into flour mixture to coat. Insert coated pears in a straight line in the center of the batter with its stem upright.
- Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake (not pear) comes out clean. Remove from heat and allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing from the baking pan and onto a cooling rack for further cooling.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, mix all frosting ingredients together (cream cheese, heavy cream, agave, orange juice and cardamom) until smooth.
- Drizzle or spread citrus frosting over the chocolate portions of the cake. Sprinkle with orange peel.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Category: Cake
- Cuisine: American