Orange Spiced Poached Pear Chocolate Cake

📝 Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 whole cloves
• 5 green cardamoms
• 3 bosc pears (peeled)
• 1 orange (thinly sliced)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 11 oz milk chocolate chips (melted)
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons butter (melted)
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• zest of 1 orange
• juice of half an orange

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Pour water along with all the ingredients except the pear into a deep saucepan. Bring it to a boil. Carefully place the pears, bring the heat down to medium and let it simmer for 15 minutes. If the pear doesn’t submerge completely, toss and turn the pears every few minutes.
2. 2After 15 minutes, switch off the heat and take the pears off to a plate layered with kitchen towel.
3. 3Pre-heat the oven to 350F and grease a 9-inch baking pan with butter.
4. 4In a mixing bowl, whisk egg with sugar. Then, pour melted butter, melted chocolate and give it a whisk.
5. 5In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and baking powder.
6. 6Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix them until it comes to form a smooth batter.
7. 7Pour the cake batter into the pan and place the pears on the batter, pressing it down. You could also slice the pears and layer it on top of the cake.
8. 8Bake it for about 30 to 35 minutes until the top of the cake is dry, shows mild crackle and the center is set.
9. 9Cool the cake and then, dust it with sugar on the top.