Chocolate hazelnut cake with pears (vegan recipe)

Chocolate hazelnut cake with pears (vegan recipe)

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Baking time: 60 minutes

For 8 servings

Ingredients:

-          425 g / 15 oz / 3 ¾ cups wheat flour T 45 (+ 1 tablespoon flour for the dish)

-          125 g / 4 ½ oz cocoa powder

-          200 g / 7 oz cane sugar

-          18 g / ½ oz baking powder

-          12,5 cl / 4 fl oz olive oil

-          50 cl / 17 fl oz almond milk

-          2 cl / 2/3 fl oz cider vinegar

-          1 vanilla pod

-          1/4 tsp salt

-          3 pears, thinly sliced

-          50 g / 2 ¾ oz hazelnuts, chopped

-          5 sprigs fresh thyme

-          10 g / 1/3 oz soft butter (for the dish)

-          Juice of half a lemon

-          1 tbsp icing sugar (optional)

Recipe:

Mix the almond milk with the cider vinegar. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Prepare the dish by lightly buttering it before sprinkling with the flour.

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4 (fan assisted).

Meanwhile, wash the pears and cut into thin slices about 0,5 to 1 cm (0.2 to 0.4 in) thick. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Crush the hazelnuts in a mortar.

 Mix the flour, baking powder, cocoa, salt, sugar and vanilla seeds in a large bowl. Then add the liquids: olive oil and almond milk/vinegar mixture. Stir with a spatula until smooth. Pour the batter into the dish. Garnish with pear slices on top. Sprinkle with hazelnuts and fresh thyme.

Bake for approximately 60 minutes. Insert the tip of a knife to check if it is done; it should come out dry when inserted in the middle.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving, straight from the dish.