(macerated pears) 500g pears, 2 cups water, ½ tspoon vanilla flavoring, ¼ cup brandy, ¾ cup light brown, 2 Tbspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, ¼ tspoon ground cardamom  
(chocolate-pear cake) 170g dark chocolate, 170g milk chocolate, 125g unsalted butter, 3tspoons baking powder, ½ tspoon baking soda, 300g all-purpose flour, 70g almond flour, 2 Tbspoons brandy, 70g earlier macerated pears syrup, 4 eggs, 250g natural yogurt, 280g light brown sugar
(mascarponde buttercream) 50g confectioners sugar, 200g mascarpone cheese, 350 unsalted butter, 1/8 cup macerated pears syrup (let the pears syrup boil and reduce until it gets slightly thick)
(chocolate ganache) 200g dark chocolate, 150g heavy cream, 50g brandy


Comece por preparar as peras maceradas.
Descasque e corte as peras ao meio. Descaroce.
Num tacho, coloque os restantes ingredientes e leve ao lume até formar uma calda. Coza as peras por 20 minutos, aproximadamente.
Reserve duas metades de pera para decorar e corte a restante em pedaços pequenos.
Reserve a calda.
Unte e forre o fundo de duas formas de 20cm de diâmetro com papel vegetal.
À parte, derreta o chocolate com a manteiga.
Bata os ovos com o açúcar. Adicione o chocolate, o brandy, a calda das peras e o iogurte. Adicione os secos e envolva. Por fim, junte os pedaços de pera macerada previamente e envolva, sem bater, para que a pera se misture no bolo sem se desfazer.
Leve ao forno a 180ºC, por 45 minutos aproximadamente. Teste a cozedura com um palito.
Retire do forno, deixe arrefecer ligeiramente e desenforme.
Depois de frios, com a ajuda de uma faca, corte os topos dos bolos, nivelando, e abra-os ao meio, obtendo 4 discos de bolo.

Bata a manteiga até estar cremosa. Adicione o açúcar e bata mais um pouco, até este deixar de se sentir. Adicione o queijo mascarpone e a calda das peras e envolva, sem bater. Reserve à temperatura ambiente.
Leve as natas ao lume com o brandy até quase ferverem. Retire do lume, junte o chocolate em pedaços pequenos. Mexa até derreter e uniformizar.
Reserve à temperatura ambiente.

Coloque o primeiro disco de bolo no prato de servir. Barre com parte da ganache de chocolate. Cubra com buttercream. Coloque o segundo disco de bolo no prato e repita o processo até ao último disco.
Cubra com película aderente e refrigere, para estabilizar, por 1 hora.
Retire do frio e cubra todo o bolo com o restante buttercream.
Alise e uniformize a superfície com a ajuda de uma espátula. Refrigere para estabilizar.
Amorne a ganache e verta sobre o bolo bem frio, empurrando o chocolate para as laterais, com a ajuda de uma colher ou da espátula, criando um efeito escorrido à volta do bolo.
Decore com as metades das peras e outros elementos em chocolate, a gosto.

Start by preparing the macerated pears.
In a pot, put the remaining ingredients and bring to the heat until a syrup is formed. Boil the pears for about 20 minutes.
Set two pear halves aside to decorate and chop the remaining into small pieces.
Set the syrup aside.
Meanwhile prepare the cake.
Grease and line the bottom of two 20cm diameter’s baking pans with parchment paper.
Apart, melt the chocolate with the butter.
Whisk eggs with sugar. Add the chocolate, brandy, syrup of the pears and yoghurt. Add the dry ingredients and fold it in. Finally, add the pieces of pear, previously macerated, and mix, without mixing too much, so that the pear is mixed in the cake without break apart.
Bake at 180ºC for about 45 minutes. Test the cooking point with a toothpick.
Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly and unmold.
After cold, with the help of a knife, cut the tops of the cakes, leveling it, and open them in half, obtaining 4 cake levels.
Prepare the buttercream.
Whisk the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and whisk it a little more until it stops feeling the sugar texture. Add the mascarpone cheese and the pear syrup and mix, without overbeating it. Set aside at room temperature.
Finally, prepare the ganache.
Bring the cream to the heat with the brandy until almost boiling. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate into small pieces. Stir until melted and even.
Set aside at room temperature.
Then build the cake.
Place the first cake level on the serving plate. Cover it with part of the chocolate ganache. Top with buttercream. Place the second cake level on the top and repeat the process until the last cake level.
Cover it all with cling film and refrigerate to stabilize for 1 hour.
Remove from the cold and cover the entire cake with the remaining buttercream.
Smooth the surface with the aid of a spatula. Refrigerate to stabilize.
Slightly heat the ganache and pour it over the very cold cake, pushing the chocolate to the sides, with the help of a spoon or the spatula, creating a dripping effect around the cake.
Garnish with the halves of pears and other elements in chocolate, as you like.