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Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Recipe

A moist chocolate hazelnut cake topped with juicy pears and crunchy hazelnuts, dusted with cocoa powder for a perfect finish.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 438kcal
Author: Lucy Brewer

Ingredients

  • 2-3 firm but ripe pears, halved and cored
  • 6 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate (70%), chopped (we like Ghirardelli or Guittard)
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 5 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 scant cup finely ground hazelnuts
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, for dusting
  • ¼ cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped, for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line the base of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
  • Slice each pear half finely, crosswise, keeping the slices together in the shape of the pear. Set aside.
    2-3 firm but ripe pears, halved and cored
    Three green figs are placed on a small wooden cutting board, set on a dark wooden surface next to a light gray cloth.
  • Put the chopped chocolate and 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water (Bain Marie). Stir until melted and glossy. Set aside to cool slightly.
    6 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate (70%), chopped (we like Ghirardelli or Guittard)
    A white mixing bowl filled with chocolate cake batter sits on a dark wooden surface next to a gray cloth.
  • In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), whisk together 5 large eggs, at room temperature, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt for 5–7 minutes, until pale, thick, and airy.
    A white mixing bowl containing four cracked eggs and a small amount of liquid on a wooden surface with a gray cloth nearby.
  • Stir 1 scant cup finely ground hazelnuts into the chocolate mixture. Then gently fold the chocolate into the egg mixture in large looping movements so that the mixture stays light and airy.
    A glass bowl containing a mixture of ground nuts and chocolate batter sits on a dark wooden surface next to a gray cloth.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the fanned pear halves gently on top. Don’t worry about perfection, they’ll shift and settle as they bake.
    A round black dish filled with chocolate batter topped with thinly sliced green apples, placed on a dark wooden surface next to a beige cloth.
  • Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center has a soft wobble. A toothpick inserted should have a few moist crumbs.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. The cake should look slightly puffed, but it will settle into a dense, fudgy finish as it cools. When you’re ready to release the cake, run a knife around the edge of the cake and unclip the pan.
    A round chocolate cake topped with sliced pears in a black baking pan on a wooden surface, with a beige cloth nearby.
  • For the best results, refrigerate the cake for 1–2 hours before slicing. Dust with cocoa powder and scatter over chopped hazelnuts just before serving.
    1 tablespoon cocoa powder, for dusting, 1/4 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped, for garnish
    A round cake topped with sliced pears, oats, and hazelnuts sits on a dark tray, surrounded by fresh pears and a gray cloth.
  • Use an offset spatula to release the cake from the pan bottom and then gently peel off the parchment paper.

Notes

  • To prevent browning if slicing pears ahead of time, squeeze over a little lemon juice.
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