Diane Dean White's Pear, Chocolate and Cardamom Cake

Diane Dean White started her writing career at an early age when she asked for a typewriter for Christmas. She pounded the keys writing poetry and short stories in grade school on an old black Royal manual. It wasn’t until her husband’s work took them to a southern town she wrote her first column, “Yankee Viewpoint’s” for a local newspaper, covering hard news and feature stories in the area. Upon returning to their home-state of Michigan, she did stringer work, ancestral history, and donor appeal letters for non-profit organizations; while doing her favorite job ever, as a stay-at-home Mom. 

She is the author of Beach Walks and Carolina in the Morning. Diane was a columnist for a weekly magazine, for four years, and her stories have appeared in a number of magazines and books. She is the author of over three-hundred short stories. Her book, newly released, On a Summer Night, is a story of suspense and romance. She and hubby, Stephen, have been married for forty-one years, and they are the parents of three grown children and three grand-gals. Diane thanks the Lord daily for her loving husband, three great kids and for giving her the desires of her heart. Visit Diane on her website at www.DianeDeanWhite.com

Diane's Latest Book Release: On a Summer Night

Kate and Vanessa hadn’t planned on the summer night that changed their lives. Could they have imagined the darkness that descended and how gripping fear could be? The beauty and sweeping moss, gentle palm trees and Florida breezes was wrapped with the memory of the awful evening. They played at being cheerful and returned home to yet another sorrow. Times steals away from the 60’s, and the memory of what happened was hidden in the recesses of Kate’s mind. She and her husband take an early retirement returning to the winter home where by-gone memories are stored. Can she trust God to help her find forgiveness? Will her husband understand? She knew he needed to hear her story.

Diane's Recipe for Pear, Chocolate and Cardamom Cake
(Shared with love from my daughter-in-law Inna)

11 oz. salted butter at room temp.
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
5 eggs, lightly beaten
11 oz. ground almonds (*Note may use 11 oz. almond meal/flour in place of ground almonds in addition to flour below.)
1/2 cup gluten free or plain flour
1 tsp. ground Cardamom
2 ripe pears, peeled, sliced or chopped.
3 1/2 oz. dark chocolate 70% cocoa, roughly chopped
Caster sugar for dusting, or the equivalent, C&H Baker's Sugar

Preheat the oven to (320 Fahrenheit) and line the base and sides of a 23 cm spring form cake tin with baking paper. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale and creamy. Switch the mixer to low and gradually add the beaten eggs followed by the ground almonds, and/or flour and cardamom. Mix until combined.

Place half the cake mixture into the prepared tin, cover with half the pear and chopped chocolate. Cover remaining cake mixture and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the cake and push the remaining pieces of chocolate into the top of the cake and top with the remaining pear in whatever pattern you prefer. Sprinkle the pear with caster sugar and return to the oven to bake for 40 minutes, or until the cake is cooked and the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove the cake from the tin and cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm with a dollop of cream.