This no bake chocolate cake is soft, creamy and rich. It is just 2 ingredients and doesn't require any flour, eggs, dairy, butter or oil. It also doesn't require any baking.
1 1/4cups (278g)pear puree, skin and core removed from the pears, see note before starting
2 3/4cups (443g)dark bittersweet chocolate chips, 60% cocoa, see note before starting
Instructions
Spray the interior of a 7-inch springform pan with cooking oil spray. Line the bottom with a parchment round. Also line the sides with long strips of cut parchment paper.
See note for full details of making pear puree. Add pear pieces to a high powered blender and blend until completely smooth. I recommend a Nutribullet if you have one as it blends really smooth. Measure out 278 grams or 1.25 cups of puree for the recipe.
Add chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between with a spatula, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Alternatively, you could do this over low heat in a double boiler on the stove.
Add the pear puree to the chocolate. Make sure your pear puree is not cold. Cold puree can cause the chocolate to seize. Whisk until the pear puree is fully incorporated into the chocolate and the batter is uniform in color.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Smooth the surface with a spatula.
Put the cake in the fridge to set, around 4-6 hours or overnight. Once cake is set, carefully release it from the cake pan and peel off the parchment paper. If desired, you can decorate the cake with frosting or fresh fruit before serving. The frosting I used is in the recipe notes.
Cut the cake with a large sharp knife. I recommend small slices because the cake is very rich. Store uneaten cake in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Pear note: This cake works best with very ripe and soft pears. Avoid pear varieties that naturally have a more gritty texture and contain more stone cells, like Asian pears. I recommend Bartlett or D'Anjou, which are more soft and buttery. Peel the skin from the pears and cut the flesh into small pieces to make it easier to blend. Avoid cutting too close to the core because a lot of stone cells are close to the core. If using a scale, you can add about 300 grams of pear pieces to the blender and blend until fully smooth. Then measure out 278 grams for the recipe. If you don't have a scale, measure out 1.25 cups of puree for the recipe. You will need about 4 pears to make the amount of puree needed for this recipe.
Dark chocolate note: Make sure to use dark chocolate chips (sometimes labeled bittersweet chocolate chips) that contain around 60% cocoa. Anything less than 60% may cause the cake to not set. It should be okay to be a little higher than 60% but your cake will not be as sweet and may set slightly firmer. If you need the cake to be dairy-free, make sure to choose dairy-free dark chocolate. Also make sure your dark chocolate chips contain lecithin. Chocolate without lecithin may seize and harden once you add in the puree.
Optional ganache frosting:
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) canned coconut milk or heavy cream (if you don't need the cake to be dairy-free)
Add chocolate chips to a medium bowl and set aside. Heat coconut milk or heavy cream in a small pot or pan over medium low heat. Heat until simmering. Pour hot coconut milk/heavy cream over chocolate chips. Let sit for 60 seconds then gently mix until chocolate is completely melted.
Frost over the surface of the cake. You do not need to use all the frosting.
Estimated nutrition does not include frosting. While the photos in this post show the cake cut into very generous sized slices, this is a very rich cake, so I recommend small slices, around 12-14 per cake.
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.