You know it’s Autumn when Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood and the brilliant Mel and Sue are back on our screens with cheesy baking puns. There’s something so inherently British about Bake Off – it’s gentle, funny and slightly bonkers. If it inspires you to ‘Bake!’ but you don’t want to eat a pile of flour and sugar, we have the perfect recipe for you to try from Jo at Paleo Crust.
If you love chocolate cake, you’ll adore this flourless poached pear version. Spiced with fragrant Madagascan vanilla and antioxidant boosting raw cacao. And because this uses ground almonds instead of flour, it’s suitable for gluten intolerant friends and family too. Perfect. Sweetened only with fresh pears and a little raw honey, it’s got the green light when it comes to healthy treat time.
GF - Grain and gluten free
DF - Dairy free
SF - Refined sugar free
Ingredients
▪ 6 mini pears
▪ 200g ground almonds
▪ 4 tablespoons raw cacao powder
▪ 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
▪ 4 eggs
▪ 1 heaped teaspoon vanilla powder
▪ 2 tablespoons raw honey (add less or more to suit your own taste)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180C (fan assisted) and grease an 8 x 4 inch loaf tin with a little coconut oil to prevent sticking.
Peel the pears, remove the core and seeds from three and chop into chunks. Leave three pears whole and place in a little lemon water to prevent browning.
Place the three chopped pears in a saucepan with 150ml of water and stew for about 10 minutes on a medium heat until soft and the water has reduced. Allow to cool slightly then puree using a food processor or hand blender until smooth. You don’t want this too dry as it’s for adding moisture to the cake. It should be fairly runny but not like water either.
Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk with a fork. Combine the almonds, vanilla, cacao and melted coconut oil in a mixing bowl. Add the pear puree and eggs. Mix well and pour into your baking tray.
Cut the base off the three remaining whole pairs and place vertically, equal distance, in the cake mix. Make sure the cake mix wraps around them. The tops of the pears should just poke out over the top of the mixture. This is for a fun and looks great when you slice into the cake.
Bake in the oven for 40 - 45 minutes until you can insert and remove a skewer without any crumbs sticking. Allow to cool, slice and enjoy.
“Food is one of life’s most powerful medicines. I believe the secret to radiant health starts and ends with a healthy gut so my recipes are all grain, gluten, dairy and refined sugar free. I love wholesome, natural food. Heaps of vegetables, eggs, nuts, organic meat, fish and some low GI fruits as a treat. For me, it’s about keeping things simple but using these food groups in a fun, creative way to nourish and support your body.” Jo, founder, Paleo Crust.
