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Hazelnut Cake With Port-Poached Pears

Heather Chittum's Hazelnut Cake is torte-like, best served warm with its port-poached pears. (Photos By Len Spoden For The Washington Post)

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Wednesday, November 1, 2006

Hazelnut Cake With Port-Poached Pears

12 servings

This is a lovely fall dessert from pastry chef Heather Chittum of Dish and Notti Bianche restaurants (924 25th St. NW, 202-338-8707, and 824 New Hampshire Ave. NW, 202-298-8085). She makes a gorgonzola cheese ice cream to serve with this, which complements the pears. But vanilla ice cream does the trick, too. The cake has a torte-like consistency and is best served warm with the pear liquid and ice cream as moisteners.

For the port poached pears:

4 cups ruby or vintage port

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

5 whole cloves

1/2 star anise

6 Bosc pears, peeled, cut in half and cored

For the hazelnut cake:

1 1/8 cups cake flour

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