Vegan Chocolate Pear Cake (Gluten-Free & Refined Sugar-Free)
A soft and moist vegan chocolate pear cake made with rice flour, oats and ripe pears. Naturally gluten free and refined sugar free, with dark chocolate, orange zest and an optional hazelnut and coconut topping.
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 210 gr Rice Flour
- 45 grams Rolled oats
- 30 grams Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 12 grams Gluten free baking powder
- 1.5 grams Baking Soda
- 6 grams Psyllium husk (Approximately 2 level teaspoons)
- 1 pinch Sea Salt
Dry Ingredients
- 95 grams Unsweetened Soy Milk
- 135 grams Maple Syrup
- 65 grams Grapeseed Oil
- 1½ tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 90 grams Aquafaba
- 1 Zest Orange
Pears & Chocolate
- 4 Pears
- 80 grams Vegan Dark Chocolate
Toppings
- As Needed Chopped hazelnuts
- As Needed Desiccated coconut
- As Needed Sliced pear
Makes: 22cm round
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Line the bottom of a 22 cm round cake tin with baking paper and lightly grease the sides.
- Prepare the pears. Cut approximately half of the pears into small cubes for the batter and slice the remaining pears thinly for the top of the cake.
- In a large bowl, combine the rice flour, ground oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, psyllium husk and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, grapeseed oil, plant based milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla and orange zest.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Leave the batter to rest for about 2 minutes so the oats and psyllium can absorb some of the liquid.
- Fold in the diced pears and chopped dark chocolate.
- In a clean bowl, whip the aquafaba until light and foamy and soft peaks begin to form.
- Fold about one third of the whipped aquafaba into the batter to loosen it. Gently fold in the remaining aquafaba in two additions, using a spatula and working from the bottom upwards.
- Transfer the batter immediately to the prepared cake tin and gently smooth the surface.
- Arrange the sliced pears over the top and add the chopped hazelnuts, if using.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Avoid opening the oven during the first 35 to 40 minutes.
- Leave the cake in the tin for 15 to 20 minutes, then carefully remove it and allow it to cool completely.
- Once cooled, finish with a light sprinkle of desiccated coconut in place of powdered sugar, if desired.
If they are particularly juicy, gently pat them dry with kitchen paper.
Check the consistency. The batter should be thick but still soft and easy to spread. If it feels too dense, add a small splash of plant based milk.
Check the cake by inserting a skewer into an area without pear. It should come out without wet batter, although a few moist crumbs are fine.
Notes
Storage
Once completely cool, store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. For the best texture, let individual slices come back to room temperature before serving.Substitutions
For ingredient swaps and alternative options, see the Ingredients section in the article above the recipe card, where I explain the possible substitutions for the main ingredients.Cake Tin
This recipe is designed for a 22 cm / approximately 9 inch round cake tin. Using a significantly larger tin will result in a thinner cake and may also reduce the baking time.Original Content Note
All recipes published on INUMAMI are original and developed from my personal cooking experience. The recipe, written content, styling and photographs featured in this post were created by me. No AI is used to create or test recipes. All food photographs are original and owned by INUMAMI.Nutrition
Serving: 120grCalories: 363kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 0.3mgSodium: 225mgPotassium: 326mgFiber: 7gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 51IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 147mgIron: 2mg