Pear, pistachio and chocolate cake

This cake will change your life.  This is no small claim I know, but it’s true.  This cake is so good it’s starred at a wedding reception, been immortalised in a script (not written by me) and its recipe used as leverage to extract fundraising dollars at a preschool.  Unlike other loaf cakes, it’s far from homely, its cross-section studded with pistachios, chunks of pear and chocolate and flecks of orange zest.  If you’re a person who isn’t a confident baker, or even a baker at all, then this is the cake for you.  It takes one bowl, five minutes to prepare and about an hour later, you will be swimming in compliments.  Guaranteed.  

Pear, pistachio and chocolate cake

From the very sticky pages of Vogue Entertaining Cookbook: Short Order + Seasonal

This cake keeps really well, though it must be said there are rarely leftovers.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and grease and flour a 22cm x 11.5cm x 7cm loaf tin. 

Put 150g plain flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 150g caster sugar, a pinch of salt, 150g softened unsalted butter and 3 eggs in the bowl of a food processor and process until just combined - about one minute: do not over-process (if you don't have a food processor, this could be done just as easily by hand). Stir in 200g chopped dark chocolate, 1 peeled, cored and diced pear, 3/4 cup of pistachio nuts and the zest of 1 orange. Transfer the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for about one hour (check after 45 minutes) or until a skewer inserted in the centre withdraws clean.  Leave in the tin a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.  Slice thickly.