Cardamom and Tea

Chocolate Pear Cake with Poached Pears

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Zoë François’s poached pear ginger cake inspired this chocolate pear loaf, with a wintry forest of pear stems poking out of the top. I loved the idea so much, I made a chocolate version, with pears tucked into a warmly spiced batter with a drizzle of pink glaze made from the pear poaching syrup. You can use any poached pear recipe you’d like, but these poached pears are my go-to.

poached pears
poached pears

Reasons I love this chocolate pear cake

  • The drama! I love how the pear stems look poking through the top.
  • Chocolate and spice is an underrated combination. But the combination of chocolate, spice, and pears work together in perfect harmony in this chocolate pear cake.
  • It is way easier to make than it looks. It’s made from pretty simple ingredients and the process is not particularly complicated, but it’s a total showstopper.
  • It’s delicious!
chocolate pear cake with poached pears
chocolate pear cake with poached pears

Tips for success

1) Use perfectly-poached pears.

Make sure you use perfectly-poached pears, simmered low and slow. Pears that bubble away will turn to mush long before they reach this pear cake. They need to be firm and nicely done. My poached pear recipe walks you thought the process.

2) Don’t over-mix the batter.

This is important for any cake recipe. Once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed up separately, combine and stir just until no dry streaks remain. Over-mixing can lead to a dense, dry loaf.

3) Skewer the pears if they won’t stay upright.

If your pears are slumping over at odd angles, you can thread a metal skewer through them level with the top of the loaf pan to keep them from falling over.

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Chocolate Pear Cake with Poached Pears

chocolate pear cake with poached pears
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Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 cup [130 g] all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup [40 g] cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom
  • ¾ cup [150 g] brown sugar
  • ¼ cup [55 g] unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
  • ¼ cup [55 g] canola oil
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ⅔ cup [160 g] buttermilk, at room temperature
  • ⅔ cup [85 g] finely chopped walnuts, plus more for sprinkling
  • 3 whole poached pears

For the icing:

  • 2 to 3 Tbsp mulled wine pear syrup (from these poached pears)
  • 1 cup [120 g] powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C]. Butter a 9 by 5 in [23 by 13 cm] or 8 by 4 in [20 cm by 10 cm] loaf pan and line with a parchment sling.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk (or sift) together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and cardamom until lump-free. Set aside.
  3. Place the brown sugar, melted butter, oil, eggs, and salt in another medium mixing bowl. Whisk together until combined. Add the buttermilk and whisk together until completely smooth.
  4. Sprinkle the walnuts over the dry ingredients, then pour on the wet ingredients and stir together just until there are no lumps (do not overmix). Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top. Submerge the pears in the batter, standing upright, evenly distributing them. To keep them from falling over, optionally place metal skewers through them horizontally so that the skewers rest on the pan.
  5. Bake for about 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in a gap between 2 pears comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool at room temperature.
  6. To make the icing, while the cake cools, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the syrup and powdered sugar. Drizzle the glaze onto the cooled cake and sprinkle with more walnuts.

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Psst… by the way, I love this recipe so much, I ended up including it in my cookbook, Piecemeal.

If you like this recipe as much as I do, you might like my book! It’s full of mix-and-match recipes and inspiration for fun and easy meals.

Greek Dolmades

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You’ll find stuffed grape leaves in just about every country across the Mediterranean and the Middle East. I grew up with the Assyrian version. But growing up in the Chicago suburbs also meant a steady rotation of Greek restaurants, so Greek-stye dolmades hold a special spot in my heart as well.

If grape leaves intimidate you a little, read on for reasons why this (naturally vegan!) dolmades recipe is my fave + a few tips. Dolmades may seem fussy, but once you get to know them, you’ll realize that they’re friendlier than they look.

Otherwise, jump to the recipe if you’re ready to hit the ground running.

Greek dolmades
Greek dolmades

Why I love this dolmades recipe

My recipe yields a traditional version of Greek dolmades, with a few subtle shifts to highlight all of the things I love about the classic.

  • For one, I don’t hold back on the lemon. We’re talking lemon slices layered across the bottom of the pot and a generous pour of lemon juice in the simmering broth. If you really want to take the lemonyness to the next level, serve it with avgolemono sauce. It makes everything taste like someone’s beloved yiayia made it.
  • I’ve also amped up the herbs. Parsley, dill, and mint take center stage. They are far from bland.
  • These dolmades are vegan (by nature!).
  • Besides the fact that this recipe tastes great, it’s also perfect for first-timers. I walk you through every step of the process.
Greek dolmades
Greek dolmades

Tips for making dolmades (and stuffed grape leaves in general)

I’ve been making all kinds of stuffed grape leaves for years, and these are my top tips. Following these practices separates an okay batch from an exceptional one:

1) If you start with jarred grape leaves, blanch them.

This is perhaps the most important thing to know for making truly good grape leaves. It’s the step that separates mediocre, mass-produced stuff from the kind made at home (i.e., the best kind!).

A quick 3-minute simmer softens the leaves and rinses the brine and oil off of them. Just rinsing under the tap won’t cut it. If you skip this step, the leaves will give the entire pot a harsh, acrid edge.

2) Turn it into a make-ahead situation.

If the whole process of stuffing grape leaves intimidates you, break it up into a couple days. You can prep the grape leaves and make the vegan filling the day before (just keep them in the refrigerator, stored separately). The day of, all that’s left is rolling, stacking, and simmering your way to a pot of dolmades.

3) Use the correct side of the leaf (the filling goes on the dull, veiny side).

Place the filling on the dull, veiny side of the leaf so that the smooth side faces out. This gives you that glossy, classic dolmades look once you roll them up.

4) Don’t over- or under-stuff.

Yes, over-stuffing can cause your rolls to burst. But under-stuffing leaves you with deflated little sacks of grape leaf. Aim for a small log of filling that you can wrap a big snugly (not tightly). As with so many things in life, balance is the way to go.

5) Pack the pot snugly.

It’s time to play dolmades tetris! And that’s because if you leave big gaps around the individual dolmades, they will bob around as they simmer and will come unraveled. You want a snug fit to prevent this. Don’t press them together to make them fit tightly, but also don’t leave big gaps between them. Topping the whole thing with an upside-down heatproof plate also helps ensure that they don’t come unwrapped while cooking.

6) Salt carefully

If your grape leaves are particularly salty, you might need to cut back a bit on the salt in the filling and simmering liquid. And if yours are under-salted (perhaps you’re using fresh grape leaves), you might want to add a bit more salt. It all depends!

Greek dolmades
Greek dolmades with avgolemono sauce

How to roll up grape leaves

rolling grape leaves

1. Place the filling in the center of the leaf.
2. Fold up the bottom.
3. Fold in the sides.

rolling grape leaves

4. Tuck in the jagged edges on the loose part of the leaf.
5. Roll away from yourself.

If you prefer, here it is in GIF form (thanks mom for modeling!). And the recipe card has a video of this too.

rolling grape leaves: adding the filling

1. Place the filling in the center of the leaf.

rolling grape leaves: folding up the bottom

2. Fold up the bottom.

rolling grape leaves: folding up the sides

3. Fold in the sides.
4. Tuck in the jagged edges on the loose part of the leaf.

rolling grape leaves: rolling it up

5. Roll away from yourself.

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Greek Dolmades

Greek dolmades
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Ingredients

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided in half
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • salt, to taste
  • ⅔ cup [85 g] pine nuts
  • ½ cup [20 g] chopped parsley leaves
  • ¾ cup [20 g] chopped fresh mint leaves
  • ½ cup [20 g] chopped dill fronds
  • 2 Tbsp crumbled dried mint*
  • 1½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 cups [400 g] uncooked medium grain rice, soaked for 30 minutes and rinsed
  • 1 large clove garlic, crushed through a press
  • 2½ cups [590 g] vegetable stock or water
  • ½ cup [120 g] lemon juice
  • 1 lemon, sliced thinly into about 10 rounds
  • 70–90 grape leaves [350 g], prepped for rolling**

Instructions

  1. Heat a skillet over medium heat for a couple minutes, then add 2 tablespoons olive oil, followed by the onion and salt to taste (about ¼ teaspoon). Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’ve softened and become translucent. Add the pine nuts, and continue to cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the onions and pine nuts to a large mixing bowl.
  2. To the large mixing bowl, add the parsley, fresh mint, dill, dried mint, black pepper, strained medium grain rice, garlic, salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon), and the other 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix together until it’s very evenly distributed.
  3. Combine the stock and lemon juice, and season to taste (this will depend on how salty your stock is. Also taste the grape leaves to see how salty they are—you may not need any salt, and should use water instead of stock if the leaves are very salty).
  4. Line the bottom of a 3 1/2 to 4 quart dutch oven with the lemon slices.
  5. Roll*** the grape leaves snugly, but careful not to wrap them too tightly. Build the pot into even layers, and make sure the whole thing is snug.
  6. Microwave the liquid until it’s hot (or heat it on the stove, but in either case, do not let it boil), then pour it over the grape leaves. It should come just up to the tops. Set over medium-high heat, cover with an upside-down heat-proof plate, and allow it about 5 to 10 minutes to come to a full simmer. Once it’s simmering, reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid, and continue to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. After those 5 minutes, the whole thing will be heated through, and you should gradually reduce heat to low while you cook covered for another 30 minutes (35 minutes total). As it cooks, bubbles should break the surface at a bare simmer.
  7. Once the dolmades are done cooking, remove from heat and let it sit covered for 30 minutes to coast and cool slightly. Once it’s rested, remove the lid, remove the plate with tongs, and enjoy.

Notes

* If you do not have dried mint, you can omit it and add more fresh mint and/or extra dill or parsley.

**To prep the leaves, start by blanching jarred grape leaves in simmering water for 3 minutes. Trim the stems and stack them with the dull, veiny side-up for easy rolling later on.

*** To roll: 1) Place the filling in the center of the leaf. 2) Fold up the bottom. 3) Fold in the sides. 4) Tuck in the jagged edges on the loose part of the leaf. 5) Roll away from yourself.

rolling grape leaves
rolling grape leaves

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