Prep 20 mins (plus cooling) • Cook 40 mins • Serves 8-10.


Prep 20 mins (plus cooling) • Cook 40 mins • Serves 8-10.
340 g packet butter cake mix •1 ripe pear, peeled, grated (2/3 cup) •1/3 cup hazelnut meal (see tip) •50 g dark chocolate, finely grated FROSTING •200 g dark chocolate, chopped •½ cup sour cream.
1 Preheat oven to moderate, 180 C. Lightly grease and line a deep 22-cm round cake pan.
2 Prepare cake mix following packet instructions. Fold pear through. Pour half batter into pan. Sprinkle over combined meal and chocolate. Cover with remaining cake mix. Drag a bread and butter knife through batter to create ripple effect.
3 Bake 35 to 40 mins, until golden and cooked when tested. Cool in pan 10 mins, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
4 FROSTING In a heatproof bowl, place chocolate over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream until smooth. Chill 15 mins until a spreadable consistency. Spread over top of cooled cake.

TIP: To make 1/3 cup hazelnut meal, process ½ cup roasted hazelnuts to fine crumbs. You could also use almonds, pistachios, macadamias or pecans instead.
PHOTOS: ROB SHAW/BAU ERSYNDICAT ION.COM.AU.