caramel cake with pears

The caramelized pears, the caramel sauce and the caramel mousse gives this dessert a lovely moist consistency, topped with crunchy caramel it taste just heavenly for everyone who loves cakes, creams and caramel!

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Makes 8 – 10 servings

For the vanilla syrup:

• 35 ml water
• 25 g sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the water, the sugar and the vanilla extract and set aside.

For the chocolate biscuit:

Preheat the oven to 180° C

Line the base of two 24 cm round cake pans with parchment paper and brush the sides with butter.

• 3 egg yolks
• 75 g flour
• 15 g cocoa powder
• 4 egg white
• 95 g sugar

With a fork beat the egg yolks gently and set aside.

Sieve the flour and the cocoa powder together and set aside.

In a bowl beat the egg white until fluffy, add the sugar gradually and beat until stiff.

Gently fold in the egg yolks and the flour – cocoa mixture and beat until combined.

Divide the batter among the prepared two pans and bake each cake for about 10 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven, remove the pan and baking paper and let the cakes cool completely.

For the caramelized pears:

• 25 g sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• 400 g pears, diced

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the sugar until golden brown.

With a sharp knife slit open the vanilla pod and scrape out the pith.

Add the pears, the vanilla pod and the vanilla pith to the caramel, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and set aside.

For the caramel sauce:

• 30 g sugar
• 75 g whipping cream
• 20 g butter
• In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the sugar until light-golden brown.

In the microwave or in a pan, heat the whipping cream and gently pour in the whipping cream into the caramel, stirring constantly.

Add the butter and stir until creamy and set aside.

For the caramel mousse:

• 6 g gelatin leaves,
• 225 g whipping cream
• 3 egg yolks
• 110 g sugar 
• 40 ml water
• 135 ml milk

Soak the gelatine in cold water.

Beat the egg yolks and 20 g of the sugar and set aside.

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining 90 g of sugar until golden brown.

Gently stir in the water and mix well.

In the microwave or in a pan, heat the milk and pour it into the caramel, stirring constantly.

Slowly pour in the caramel while whisking the egg-sugar mixture constantly.

Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan.

Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 3 – 4 minutes.

Remove from the heat and dissolve the pressed-out gelatine into the mousse and cool to room temperature.

Beat the whipping cream until it is thick and fold in the caramel mousse and set aside.

Assemble the cake:

Using a 20 cm springform pan or a tarte mould cut out 2 chocolate biscuit base.

Lay the chocolate biscuits on the bottom of the spring form or tarte mould and trickle the half of the vanilla syrup mixture.

Spread the pears on the biscuit and spoon the caramel sauce on the top.

Spoon half of the caramel mousse in the pan and top with the second biscuit base, brush the top of the biscuit with the rest of vanilla syrup.

Spoon a second layer of the caramel mousse across the second layer of biscuit.

Put the cake in the freezer for at least 2 hours.

Crunchy caramel toping:

• 150 g sugar
• 1 teaspoon butter
• dash of salt

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the sugar and the salt until golden brown.

Add the butter and stir until creamy.

Immediately pour the caramel onto a baking sheet and spread the caramel as thinly as possible.

Leave the caramel harden completely.

Use a rolling-pin to break the cooled caramel into small pieces and spread over the cake.

Happy baking!