Chocolate-Coffee Gingerbread with Hazelnut Poached Pears

Combine sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, and

Frangelico in heavy large wide saucepan.Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.Bring to boil.

Add pears (liquid will notcover pears completely). Cover and simmeruntil pears are tender when pierced withknife, turning occasionally, about 12minutes. Using slotted spoon, transferpears to medium bowl. Boil cooking liquidin pan until syrupy and reduced to generous3/4 cup, about 5 minutes.

Pour syrup overpears and cool slightly. DO AHEAD: Can bemade 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 350°F.Generously butter 12-cup nonstick Bundtpan, then spray with nonstick spray. Dustpan lightly with flour.

Whisk 2 cups flourand next 5 ingredients in medium bowl toblend.

Combine sugar, molasses, olive oil,and eggs in large bowl; whisk until wellblended.

Add dry ingredients and stir toblend.

Mix in hot coffee, then chocolate andcrystallized ginger (most of chocolate willmelt).

Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted nearcenter comes out clean and cake beginsto pull away from sides of pan, 55 to 60minutes.

Transfer pan to rack; cool cake inpan 20 minutes. Turn cake out onto rackand cool at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Canbe made 1 day ahead. Cool completely.Cover with cake dome or wrap in foil andstore at room temperature. If desired,uncover cake and place on oven-proofplatter and rewarm in 350°F oven for 15minutes before serving.

Combineall ingredients in large bowl. Using electricmixer, beat until peaks form. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Cut warm or room-temperaturegingerbread into 10 slices and transfer 1slice to each of 10 plates.

Place 1 pear halfalongside each.

Drizzle with pear syrup andtop with coffee whipped cream.