Chocolate Mousse and Pear Cake

The chocolate mousse and pear cake is a refined and delicious dessert, combining the sweetness of chocolate with the freshness of pears. Here is the recipe to prepare this exquisite sweet treat.

Ingredients

• For the base:
  • 200 g of dry biscuits (such as Digestive)
  • 100 g of melted butter
• For the chocolate mousse:
  • 200 g of dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)
  • 3 eggs (at room temperature)
  • 80 g of sugar
  • 250 ml of fresh cream to whip
• For the filling and decoration:
  • 2-3 ripe but firm pears
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 30 g of granulated sugar (for caramelizing the pears, optional)
  • Dark chocolate or cocoa powder for decorating

Preparation

1. Start by preparing the base of the cake by finely crumbling the biscuits and mixing them with the melted butter until you get a homogeneous mixture. Press it onto the bottom of a springform pan (preferably lined with parchment paper) and let it cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

2. For the chocolate mousse, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave and let it cool. Whisk the yolks with half of the sugar until you get a light and foamy mixture. In another bowl, whipped the egg whites until stiff peaks form with the remaining sugar. Also whip the cream.

3. Gently fold the yolks into the melted chocolate, then add the whipped egg whites, mixing with bottom-up movements so as not to deflate the mixture. Finally, fold in the whipped cream, still mixing gently.

4. For the filling, peel the pears and cut them into cubes. If you like, you can caramelize them slightly in a pan with sugar and a bit of lemon juice until they become translucent. Let them cool down.

5. Pour part of the mousse on the biscuit base, add a layer of pears and then cover with the rest of the mousse. Let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours, or better still, overnight.

6. Before serving, decorate the chocolate mousse and pear cake with grated chocolate or dust with cocoa powder. If you wish, you can also add some slices of fresh or caramelized pear for an elegant touch.

Curiosity

Pears and chocolate are a classic and much appreciated pairing. This dessert not only presents a perfect balance between the sweetness and flavor of chocolate with the freshness of pears but also offers a variety of textures from the softness of the mousse to the crunchiness of the biscuit base.