Pear Chocolate Marzipan Cake

A quiet showstopper that's easy to make.

I survived a trip to the grocery story today without saying rude things to anyone, so I am feeling very proud of myself. Having actually seen one man hit another over a parking space in the parking lot of my Whole Foods one Thanksgiving eve, I do tend to tread lightly on days like this, when people who only shop at the grocery the week before Thanksgiving seem to crowd the place, like hungry, confused sheep.

But! There’s cake to be made! And, I say humbly, this is one of my favorite creations of the year. This cake is elegant enough to grace a holiday table, and understated enough to be at home on your plate, as you nestle into the couch with a hot cup of tea. Buttery and tender thanks to almond flour and chunks of ripe pear, this cake is flecked with marzipan and chocolate chips, then decorated with sliced pears and glazed with apricot jam. It’s the kind of cake my Austrian-born father would call a torte. It’s delicious served warm with whipped cream, but it’s also one of those miracle cakes that gets better with age.

Notes and deep thoughts below the recipe.

Pear Chocolate Marzipan Cake

What You’ll Need:

1/2 cup (4 ounces) finely ground almond flour

1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon (5 ounces) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

6 ounces butter, chopped into pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup (8 ounces) granulaated sugar

1 cup ripe pear, peeled, cored and diced (see photo below)

4 ounces semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips

2 ounces marzipan

For decorating the top:

1 or 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, cut in halfway lengthwise and cut into slices (see photo below)

Chocolate chips, slivered or sliced almonds

4 tablespoons good quality apricot jam

What You’ll Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour (or spray with something like Baker’s Joy) an 8- or 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, all-purpose flour, salt and nutmeg.

3. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl intermittently.

4. On low speed, add the eggs one at a time, and mix until absorbed. Add the vanilla and mix again.

5. Add the flour to the mixture in two additions and beat until blended. The batter will be distressingly thick.

6. Add the diced pear, chocolate chips and marzipan slivers (You can attempt to dice the marzipan into tiny dice using an oiled knife, or you can do it as I do and pinch thin, dime-size pieces off the marzipan and toss those into the bowl. Blend everything together on low speed, scraping the beaters and bowl a few times, until the mixture is moister (looser) and well-mixed.

7. Decorate the top with slices of pear, slivered almonds and chocolate chips.

8. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the heat down to 325 degrees and continue to bake the cake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. If the cake starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil. This cake will seem to take ages to cook. Be patient. It typically takes around 60 minutes.

9. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Slide a knife around the edge of the pan before releasing the springform. Let cool completely.

10. Glaze the cake: In a small bowl, stir together the jam and 1 teaspoon of water. Microwave, or heat on the stove for 20-30 seconds until the mixture has turned liquidy. Brush the glaze all over the cake, including the sides.

Notes:

If your only springform pan is dark in color, watch the edges closely. Because the dark color absorbs the heat, the edges will tend to darken quickly. Be ready with foil to cover the top!

I used luscious D’anjou pears. Use what you have.

I like to serve this with whipped cream to which I add vanilla extract and/or Poire William liqueur and some confectioner’s sugar.

Thanksgiving is almost here. Tomorrow, I will send out another newsletter with a recipe for the best bourbon chocolate chip pecan pie and pumpkin cheesecake brownies. Plus a few other treats!

Note the size of the dice and the look of the slice!

Before going into the oven, it looks rather like a pointsettia, doesn’t it?

Thank you all for reading this far! And thanks for subscribing to the newsletter.

Panicked about pie crust? Mollie Katzen and I assuage your fears on the latest episode of The Secret Life of Cookies podcast.