Crunchy Pear Chocolate Cake

Pear and chocolate sounds strange!!!! Wait have a look on the the pictures first. Yes, it totally surpassed all my expectation. This streusel topping will really spruce up your cake. This cinnamon streusel takes just seconds to mix up, just sprinkle it over cake right before baking. It's that easy! Streusel is giving it a crunchy effect. Although the topping is of German origin, it is sometimes erroneously referred to as Danish or Swedish.

Minimally adapted from "Gale Gand's Brunch!" by Gale Gand with Christie Matheson (Clarkson Potter/Publisher, 2009)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

Cake:
All-purpose flour:                          1 cups
Baking powder:                             2 teaspoons
Sugar:                                           1/2 cup
Salt:                                              1/4 teaspoon
Cinnamon:                                     1/2 teaspoon
Egg:                                               1 large
Milk:                                              1/4 cup
Unsalted butter:                              4 tablespoons melted
Vegetable oil:                                 1/4 cup
Ripe pear:                                      1 large (peeled, cored and chopped)
Chocolate:                                     50 grams (cut in small pieces)

Streusel Topping:
Brown Sugar:                                 4 tablespoon
All-purpose flour:                           4 tablespoon
Cold unsalted butter:                      2 tablespoon (cut in small pieces)
Cinnamon:                                     1 teaspoon

Method:

1) Heat oven to 180 degree celcius. Butter the baking pan.
2) In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Sieve it twice.
3) In a separate bowl, mix egg, milk, oil and melted butter until well combined using a whisk.
4) Pour into dry ingredients; add the pears and chocolate cubes. Mix well.
5) Pour into prepared tin.
6) To make the streusel: In a small bowl, mix sugar and flour and cut in butter with your fingers until crumbs form. Sprinkle over top of batter in pan.
7) Bake 35 to 40 minutes until golden and dry on top. Cool in pan and cut as desired.

BON APPETIT..