Ingredients

• 225g Co-op unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 200g Co-op Fairtrade dark chocolate
• 5 Co-op British eggs
• 200g Co-op Greek style fat free yogurt
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 100g Co-op self raising flour
• 150g ground almonds
• 300g caster sugar
• 3 Co-op British pears, peeled, cored and halved
• 2 tbsp flaked almonds
• 3 tbsp apricot jam
• 50g Co-op Fairtrade milk chocolate (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/Gas 4
2. Grease a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin with butter then line with greaseproof paper
3. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water, then set aside to cool
4. Whisk the eggs, yogurt and almond extract with the cooled chocolate
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, ground almonds and sugar, then add the chocolate mixture
6. Stir until you get an even batter then pour into the tin
7. Cut 6 slits in the bottom of each pear half, fan out the bases and lay on top of the cake, tips facing the centre
8. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds and bake for 1 hour 30 mins, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean
9. Leave to cool for 20 mins
10. Meanwhile, gently heat the jam with 1 tbsp water and brush over the pears, then remove the cake from the tin
11. For an extra touch, melt the milk chocolate and drizzle over the cake, if you like