Pear and chocolate marquis
Ingredients:
5 Conference pears, peeled, cored and sliced into eighths.
230g sugar.
120g butter, softened.
230g chocolate, melted.
5 eggs.
170g self-raising flour.
60g cocoa powder.
2 rounded teaspoons baking powder.
Method:
Heat the oven to 165C, Gas 3.
Lightly butter a deep cake tin and line the sides with baking parchment.
Layer the pear pieces on the bottom of the tin.
Cream the butter and sugar together and whisk in the melted chocolate.
Whisk in the eggs, one-by-one with a little of the flour.
Fold in the remaining flour, cocoa and baking powders.
Fill the cake tin and gently level off.
Bake for 40 minutes. The top will feel quite crusty while the middle will still be soft.
Allow to cool for at least an hour before turning upside down on a plate and removing the parchment paper.
(I used my cast iron Tarte Tatin baking pan)