Bittersweet Chocolate & Pear Cake

This is the first recipe AND the format I'd like to use for posting.

Principles:

1. Put the title in Bold Italics so it's easy to find the beginning of the recipe.  Add commentary before or after or whatever.  I think it's fun to know why and where and when you made it, plus family reactions.
2. Use bullet points for the ingredients so they're easy to identify.
3. Include all directions as well as any changes you made, notated in [brackets.]
4. If your recipe has a citable source, tell us where you found it, just below the title.  It's nice to give credit where it's due.  If you can't find an author, no biggie.

I came across this recipe in a food blog I frequent, and had to make it as soon as I had occasion.  I found occasion one October evening, and it's taken me ages to share it.  Anyway, it was AWESOME.  I even wrapped up a piece and gave it to a friend as a thank you for a favor she did for me.  Not only is it delicious, but it's beautiful as well.  Browning the butter was a new experience for me and took some patience, but it was so worth it.  Find on occasion to make this cake.

Bittersweet Chocolate & Pear Cake

Al Di La Restaurant in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs, at room-temperature
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 pears, peeled, in a small dice (I used anjou, but would recommend a softer variety, like a bosc or any other of your favorites)
• 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and dust with breadcrumbs [or flour,] set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together, set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs on high speed until pale and very thick. (In a professional Kitchen Aid, it takes at least five minutes; on a home machine, it will take nine minutes to get sufficient volume)

While the eggs are whipping, brown the butter. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan (because it will foam a lot) and cook it until the butter browns and smells nutty (about 6 to 8 minutes). It helps to frequently scrape the solids off the bottom of the pan in the last couple minutes to ensure even browning. Remove from the flame but keep in a warm spot.

Add the sugar to the eggs and whip a few minutes more.

Just as the egg-sugar mixture is starting to loose volume, turn the mixture down to stir, and add the flour mixture and brown butter. Add one third of the flour mixture, then half of the butter, a third of the flour, the remaining butter, and the rest of flour. Whisk until just barely combined — no more than a minute from when the flour is first added — and then use a spatula to gently fold the batter until the ingredients are combined. It is very important not to over-whisk or fold the batter or it will lose volume.

Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle the pear and chocolate chunks over the top, and bake until the cake is golden brown and springs back to the touch, about 40 to 50 minutes, or a tester comes out clean.  It may take longer.  Serve with whipped cream or ice cream or whatever.