Chocolate and almond “stained glass” cake – Food & Home Magazine

Ingredients

• <h3> CAKE </h3>
• 200g cake flour
• 300g castor sugar
• 60g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 120g salted butter, chopped
• 125ml (½ cup) freshly brewed coffee
• 125ml (½ cup) full-cream milk
• ½ tsp almond extract/1 tbsp almond-flavoured liqueur
• 2 large eggs
• 50g flaked almonds, lightly toasted
• <h3> DYED PEAR CHIPS </h3>
• 6 large pears
• a squeeze lemon juice
• 115g white sugar
• 250ml (1 cup) water
• gel food colouring of your choice (we used green, orange, turquoise and purple)
• <h3> CHOCOLATE-GANACHE ICING </h3>
• 350g 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 430ml fresh cream
• 125ml (½ cup) sour cream
• <h3> PEAR GEL </h3>
• 250ml (1 cup) pear juice
• 50g white sugar
• 50ml water
• 1 tsp agar agar (find at faithful-to-nature.co.za or takealot.com)
• <h3> CREAM-CHEESE ICING </h3>
• 200g icing sugar
• 75g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 100g full-fat cream cheese