Gluten-free chocolate & pear pudding cake

• butter↗200g g

  chopped into small pieces, plus extra for the tin

• dark cooking chocolate↗200g g

  chopped into small pieces

• eggs↗3
• golden caster sugar↗175g g
• mascarpone or soft cheese↗100g g
• vanilla extract↗¼ tsp ¼ tsp
• ground almonds↗100g g
• cocoa powder↗30g g

  plus extra to serve

• very ripe pears4

  peeled, halved and cored

• icing sugar↗

  for dusting

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Butter and line a 25cm round cake tin. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water, or do this in short bursts in the microwave, then leave to cool. Beat the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk for 4-5 mins, or until thickened and the whisk leaves a trail in the mixture. Add the mascarpone or soft cheese and vanilla and beat until combined. Lightly fold in the cooled melted chocolate until incorporated, then fold in the almonds. Sift over the cocoa powder and a small pinch of salt, and fold in to combine.

2. 2

   Scrape the cake mix into the prepared tin. Arrange the pears over the top, cut-side down, and press down gently. Bake for 45-50 mins, until the cake has risen around the pears and cracked on top. Leave to cool in the tin for 30-40 mins – it will deflate as it cools. Dust with icing sugar and cocoa, and serve warm, or leave to cool completely for a more brownie-like consistency.