Recipe
150g butter, softened,
plus extra for greasing
150g caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp baking powder
200g dark chocolate
finely chopped
1 pear, peeled, cored and diced
60g pistachio nuts
150g flour
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C Grease a 24 x 12cm loaf tin with butter.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, using an electric hand mixer. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well in between, then add the vanilla essence. Fold in the chocolate, pear, pistachio nuts and flour until just combined, using a wooden spoon. Pour into the prepared tin.
3. Bake in the hot oven for 55-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave the cake in the tin to cool completely.
