Chocolate & Pear Cake with Rakija

written by Dajana 20. March 2019
Chocolate & Pear Cake with Rakija

Rakija in a cake? Absolutely! Check out this delicious chocolate and pear cake with a special twist: A shot of premium rakija. You’ll be surprised how good this is! Yes, right! Rakija in a cake. When I told Miloš Lončarević that I’m going to bake a cake with his Coup d’État Premium Rakija he sure was surprised, but told me to definitely go for it!

Rakija in a cake?

I simply love cooking and baking with wine and sometimes even add it to the food. It might not seem the most common use for rakija, a traditional fruit brandy from the Balkans, but you’ll be surprised how well it actually works! 

For this recipe I have used a shot of the Coup d’État Premium Rakija. Don’t be scared to use such a strong alcoholic spirit as the alcohol will evaporate during the baking process, while giving your cake this special twist and incredibly rich taste. 

While melting the chocolate with a bit of butter, simply add some rakija to it and wait until all ingredients are combined well and the texture is smooth. Don’t worry about using raw pears for the recipe. They will be baked and soft in the insider once the cake is baked and give the cake a sweet and fruity note. 

The only tricky thing about this chocolate and pear cake with rakija?

Fixing the pears while the dough is raw. Check out the recipe and baking tips below to find out how to fix the pears for a beautiful final result. 

Chocolate Pear Cake with Rakija

Print recipe
Serves: 8 Prep Time: Cooking Time:

Ingredients

  • 3 fresh Bosc Pears
  • 200g baking chocolate (melted)
  • 2cl Coup d'Etat rakija (=amount of one small shot glass)
  • 150g all-purpose flour
  • 100g brown sugar
  • 50g granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 150g butter melted (optional: margarine or rapeseed oil)
  • 1/2 cup milk (or soy milk)

Instructions

  1. Turn oven to 180 degrees Celsius. 
  2. Grease a 22cm x 12cm loaf tin and set aside.
  3. Wash the pears, dry them with a paper towel and set aside.
  4. Fill a pot half full with water and put in on the oven to cook.
  5. Break the chocolate into smaller pieces and add it to a bowl with a tablespoon of butter and 2cl of rakija.
  6. Put the bowl onto the pot and wait until the chocolate melted.
  7. Make sure to mix everything with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are combined and the texture is smooth. 
  8. In the meantime, mix the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.
  9. Use a second bowl and add the brown, granulated and vanilla sugar.
  10. Add the butter and eggs and mix everything until smooth.
  11. As soon as the chocolate melted, wait a bit for it to cool down, then add the chocolate and butter mix to the bowl.
  12. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the rest and stir everything until smooth.
  13. Put the three pears in the tin and pour the dough evenly in the tin.
  14. Bake at 180 degrees C for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  15. Allow the cake to cool in the baking tray before serving it.

Notes

* If you don't have high quality rakija at home, you can use grappa, amaretto, rum or even a good whiskey for this cake. Don't worry, the alcohol will evaporate and you will only taste the alcohol's rich flavor. * Optionally add 50g granulated walnuts to the mix for a rich note. * Use a few toothpicks to fix the pears while the dough is still raw. After approximately 5-10 minutes baking time, make sure to take the toothpicks out since the pears will be stable enough and won't move anymore. Bake the cake for about 35 more minutes.

Dolce far niente plate

Read more about this traditional drink from the Balkans

I talked to Miloš Lončarević about his idea to bring a traditional fruit brandy from the Balkans to the world. Find out how he wants to position his brand and why he is promoting the positive aspects of the Balkans. Read more about his idea, plans and beliefs in our latest Foodie Talk about Coup d’État.

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