Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Pears *Vegan

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Serves: 8

Ingredients-

• 425 g / 15 oz / 3 ¾ cups wheat flour T 45 (+ 1 tablespoon flour for the dish)
• 125 g / 4 ½ oz cocoa powder
• 200 g / 7 oz cane sugar
• 18 g / ½ oz baking powder
• 12,5 cl / 4 fl oz olive oil
• 50 cl / 17 fl oz almond milk
• 2 cl / 2/3 fl oz cider vinegar
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 pears, thinly sliced
• 50 g / 2 ¾ oz hazelnuts, chopped
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 10 g / 1/3 oz soft butter (for the dish)
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 tbsp icing sugar (optional)

Directions-

1. Mix the almond milk with the cider vinegar. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Prepare the dish by lightly buttering it before sprinkling with the flour.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4 (fan assisted).
4. Meanwhile, wash the pears and cut into thin slices about 0,5 to 1 cm (0.2 to 0.4 in) thick. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
5. Crush the hazelnuts in a mortar.
6. Mix the flour, baking powder, cocoa, salt, sugar and vanilla seeds in a large bowl. Then add the liquids: olive oil and almond milk/vinegar mixture. Stir with a spatula until smooth. Pour the batter into the dish.
7. Garnish with pear slices on top. Sprinkle with hazelnuts and fresh
   thyme.
8. Bake for approximately 60 minutes. Insert the tip of a knife to check if it is done; it should come out dry when inserted in the middle.
9. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving, straight from the dish.