Chocolate Lemon Pear Cake

Chocolate Lemon Pear Cake~ What makes up five layers of cake love? Let me tell you: 3 layers of chocolate cake, a layer of lemon curd, a layer of pears and some chocolate ganache in between and all around and you have enough cake love to last a few days.

That is unless you are my son, who a few weeks ago, told me “I don’t like cake”. Well, you have never seen anyone pull a better Linda Blair 360-head turn.

B-l-a-s-p-h-e-m-y.

Deciding not to disown him on the spot, I covered a piece in chocolate cake with buttercream frosting sprinkled on some his favorite M&Ms, and  . . . to no avail. Weird thing is, he likes cupcakes-huh?
Well stubborn is as stubborn does; I pushed the issue once more and decided to bake a cake with his favorite fruit: pear.

And. . . .  once more, to no avail. The kid doesn’t like cake. Why can’t it be brussel spouts that he doesn’t like?! Yeah, I know “bad-mommy-me”.  Go ahead.  But without him, I would have never thought of this cake.

So many thanks to my non-cake loving child and you will be thanking him too because this cake, to put in its correct vernacular (that is according to my friend’s 23-year-old daughter). . .

. . .is ridiculous!

A few notes:
1. You can make the lemon curd and chocolate ganache two days in advance.
2. You can choose to cut your layers in the rectangular pieces or in two rounds.
3. When assembling you can stop at step 5, but I followed up mine with step 6 for a smoother look.

Chocolate Lemon Pear Cake
{Printer Version}

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Line bake sheet with parchment, leaving 2inches on hanging on the side for easy lifting.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:
4 large eggs
2/3 cup of flour
¼  cup almond meal
2 ½ tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup sugar, plus tablespoon
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Pinch of salt

Syrup:
¾ sugar
2/3  water
2 tablespoon pear eau de vie

Chocolate Ganache:

12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

Lemon Curd:
5 lemons
5 limes
2 cups sugar
8 large egg yolks
2 whole eggs
1 ¾ sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces

INSTRUCTIONS:

Chocolate Cake:

1. Separate eggs, leaving yolks in one bowl and whites in another.
2. Combine flour, almond meal, unsweetened cocoa powder and light brown sugar. Set aside.
3. Add ½ cup of the sugar to the egg yolks and beat until lemon in color. Stir dry mixture from step 2.
4. Add salt to egg whites and beat until stiff peaks hold. Add remaining tablespoon and beat to combine.
5. Using a spatula gently fold whites into cocoa –yolk mixture until blended.
6. Spread batter evenly in pan and bake for 7-8 minutes.

Syrup:

1. Heat sugar and water to a boil and cook until syrupy. Remove from heat let cool slightly and add pear eau de vie.Source: Adapted from Robert Linxe

Chocolate Ganache:
1. Place the chopped chocolate into a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Heat the cream and butter in a saucepan over low heat and gently stir. Heat cream and butter until bubbles start to form around the edges of the pan. Remove saucepan from heat.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let the mixture rest for 3 minutes. Then gently stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

Lemon Curd:

1. Place 1/2 cup lemon and 1/2lime juice, sugar egg yolks, whole eggs, and butter in a saucepan. Whisk until combined. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until it begins to boil (approx. 7 mins.).
2. Push curd through a chinois or strainer. Refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

Assembly:
1. Cut cake in three even layers. Moisten each side with syrup.
2. Place first cake layer on serving platter and spread a layer of ganache.
3.  Place second layer of cake on top and spread lemon curd.
4. Place third layer of cake on top and place canned pear slices on top.
5. Using and offset spatula cover cake with ganache.
6. For an even smooth look, follow up step 5 by slowly heating your ganache in the microwave to a pouring consistency similar to heavy cream. Make sure to gently stir the ganache or you will create air bubbles.
Place the cake on a cooling rack with a bowl underneath to catch excess ganache. Pour ganache over cake. If you are missing a few spots use an offset spatula to cover. You will have to work quickly before the consistency changes.