Chocolate pear olive oil cake

 2 Beurre Bosc (brown) Pears, halved, cored, thinly sliced crossways
 200 g dark chocolate, chopped (like Nestle Club or Plaistowe)
 ½ cup light olive oil
 ¼ cup cocoa powder
 5 eggs
 1 cup caster sugar
 ¾ cup ground hazelnuts
 ¾ cup self-raising flour
 ¼ cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
 Icing sugar & double cream, to serve

1

Preheat oven 160°C fan forced. Invert base of a 22cm (base) springform pan. Grease and line base and side with baking paper.

2

Place chocolate and oil into a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Add cocoa, whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat.

3

Beat eggs and sugar in an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes until pale and creamy. Gently fold in chocolate mixture. Add ground hazelnuts and flour, gently fold until combined. Pour into pan.

4

Top with pears then sprinkle over roasted hazelnuts. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar. Serve with cream.

Tip - Cake will keep 3 days in the fridge.
Serving suggestion: Cake is delicious served warm with drizzle chocolate fudge sauce.