This Chocolate Chestnut Cake with Golden Poached Pears is the perfect showstopper to serve at your next holiday gathering.
Chocolate Chestnut Cake with Golden Poached Pears
To me chestnut means Christmas. Throw in chocolate and peach pears, it’s the perfect holiday cake to have at the end of a decadent holiday meal. This Chocolate Chestnut Cake with Golden Poached Pears is gluten free and actually is pretty easy to make. All the components I have made before separately in other desserts and put it all together for this cake.
Chocolate Cake
I used my go to chocolate cake recipe to create the chocolate layers. I used two 6 inch cake pans to make this mini layer cake. Once the cakes are baked and cooled wrap them in some plastic wrap and freeze. Freezing cakes make them easier to decorate. Once you are ready to do the decoration take them out of the freezer to defrost a little and cut each cake in half, as you will sandwich them with some Chestnut Cream.
Chestnut Cream
The chestnut cream was born out of my love of a dessert called Mont Blanc. My version is very simple and it’s made just by mixing marscapone with chestnut cream. You can find the recipe for that in my Mont Blanc Parfait.
To start layering place a dollop of the chestnut cream on to your cake stand and place the bottom layer. This will secure your cake. Then evenly coat the chocolate cake with chestnut cream and repeat until you place the top layer on. Don’t put any chestnut cream on the top of the cake. If you have any excess chestnut cream peaking out of the layers just use an offset spatula to spread it over the sides of the cake. It will start to give a slight naked cake effect. Place the cake back in the freezer to set the filling.
Vanilla Icing
The icing could not be more simple. I use my go to store bought one that is filled with wholesome good for you ingredients. You can buy it here.
To ice the cake take it out of the freezer and lightly coat the sides of the cake with vanilla. You still want the chocolate to peep through. Coat the top with a light layer of vanilla icing and put it back in the freezer to set. This is key to get that nice drip you see down the side.
Chocolate Drip
The chocolate drip is made by combining some dark chocolate with coconut oil. The coconut oil thins out the chocolate a bit, yet still hardens when cools. To get the drip start by pouring the chocolate in the middle of the cake and start slowly pushing it out to the sides until it starts falling over. Repeat until you have your ideal number of drips on the side.
Poached Pears
I’ve had this cake on the brain for a long time and one of the things I really wanted to do was put tiny poached pears dipped in chocolate on top of the cake. You can poach the pears in any liquid you want. I’ve poached pears in champagne and that is a decadent addition to this cake.
Now in order for you to dip poached pears in chocolate the pears need to be dry. I would suggest poaching the pears and cooling them overnight and while you are creating the cake layers take the pears out of the poaching liquid and have them sitting on some paper towels. I would do that for at least an hour.
Using the left over chocolate drip, dip the poached pears sideways and drop them on top of the cake.
Decoration
All that is left for you to do is to add a little bit more flare to the cakes. I added some edible gold on the sides of the cake and on the pears. Some people like to put flowers on cakes, but I prefer herbs. I added some rosemary, sage and lemon verbena. The herbs made the cake smell so good and look good too.
Tag me if you make this Chocolate Chestnut Cake with Golden Poached Pears. I would love to see your version of it! @rezelkealoha.
Chocolate Chestnut Cake with Golden Poached Pears
This Chocolate Chestnut Cake with Golden Poached Pears is the perfect showstopper to serve at your next holiday gathering.
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Gluten Free
Servings: 6 Slices
Poach Pears First
Peal and poach the pears by following my poached pear recipe. Let the pears cool and soak overnight in the poaching liquid. Then the next day take them out of the liquid and sit them on some paper towels until you are ready to dip them in chocolate.
Chocolate Cake
Spray 2 6 inch cake tins with coconut oil and coat with a layer of cocoa powder.
Make the chocolate cake following this recipe. Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes and then loosen them with a knife around the edges and remove from the tins. Cool on a wire rack unitl they reach room temperature. Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and place in the freezer until it’s time to decorate.
Chestnut Cream
Make the chestnut cream using this recipe. Take the cakes out of the freezer and cut each cake in half.
To start layering place a dollop of the chestnut cream on to your cake stand and place the bottom layer. This will secure your cake. Then evenly coat the chocolate cake with chestnut cream and repeat until you place the top layer on. Don’t put any chestnut cream on the top of the cake. If you have any excess chestnut cream peaking out of the layers just use an offset spatula to spread it over the sides of the cake. It will start to give a slight naked cake effect. Place the cake back in the freezer to set the filling.
Naked Vanilla Icing Layer
Chocolate Drip
Mix the chocolate and coconut oil in a small bowl and heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals until it’s melted and smooth. Let stand for about 10 minutes or so to get thick.To get the drip start by pouring the chocolate in the middle of the cake and start slowly pushing it out to the sides until it starts falling over. Repeat until you have your ideal number of drips on the side.