Recipe: Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with Oven-Roasted Pears

Ingredients
Yield: 12 servings

For the cake:
go 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
go 1/4 cup good-quality cocoa, such as Vahlrona
go 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
go 1 teaspoon baking soda
go 1/4 teaspoon salt
go 5 ounces good-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
go 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
go 2 cups sugar
go 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
go 3 large whole eggs
go 1/2 cup sour cream or plain, whole yogurt
go 1 cup hot water

For the pears:
go 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
go 1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and scraped
go 6 pears, such as Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou, peeled, halved, and cored
go Juice of 1/2 lemon, strained
go Juice of 1 orange, strained
go 1/2 cup light brown sugar
go 2 tablespoons brandy

For the crème fraiche:
go 1 cup heavy cream
go 2 tablespoons buttermilk


Preparation:
go To make the crème fraiche, mix the heavy cream and buttermilk in a plastic container, cover partially, and let sit at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours, stirring every so often. Then refrigerate. Use within 4-5 days.
go To make the cake, sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.
go Melt the chocolate and 4 tablespoons of the butter in a medium bowl set over a saucepan with barely simmering water. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir the chocolate-butter mixture until melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from over the saucepan and set aside to cool slightly.
go In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the sugar and remaining butter on medium speed until the mixture looks like wet sand. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl a couple of times to make sure all of the ingredients are incorporated. Beat the mixture until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
go Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Add the melted chocolate and beat until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, ½ of the hot water, then 1/3 of the flour mixture, the remaining water, and end with the flour mixture. Beat until just mixed together. The batter will be slightly lumpy.
go Immediately pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Place the springform pan on a baking sheet and bake for about 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out only slightly damp. Do not overbake.
go Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for about 15 minutes. Release the sides of the pan and using an offset or icing spatula, slide the cake from the bottom of the pan onto the cooling rack. Let cool while you prepare the pears.
go To make the pears, melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Mix in the vanilla bean pod and scrapings. Set aside.

go Place the pear halves in a large mixing bowl and toss with the lemon and orange juice. Set aside.

go Remove the vanilla bean pod from the butter and stir in the brown sugar and brandy. Pour the butter mixture over the pear halves and toss gently to mix. Place the pears in a glass baking dish large enough to hold the 12 pear halves, and pour the remaining juices in the mixing bowl over the pears. Bake the pears until just tender, about 20 minutes. Baste the pears occasionally while they are baking.

go Remove the pears from the baking dish with a slotted spoon and return the pan with the pear juices to the oven. Cook the liquid down until it is slightly syrupy, about 15 minutes.


go To assemble, spoon 2-3 tablespoons of crème fraiche onto a serving plate. Top with a slice of the warm chocolate cake. Slice a pear half, leaving the top held together. Place a pear half on top of the cake, fanning the slices. Drizzle the pear with the pear juices and serve immediately.