Prepare 2 6" cake pans by rubbing the insides with butter and dusting them with flour. Dust off any excess flour.

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F)

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, eggs, butter, mashed pear, milk, and vanilla extract. Using a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer, beat until combined.

Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture, adding the dry ingredients gradually, and continue to beat till just combined

Add the diced pear and mix them gently into the batter

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

To make the Caramelized Pear:

In a saucepan, add the butter and let it melt on low heat

Once the butter foams, add the sugar and let it cook until it starts to bubble

Add the sliced pears and mix it gently, taking care to not break the pear slices

The pears will release juices and caramelize

Turn off the heat once the pears are soft and cooked through

To make the Caramel Walnut Topping:

Combine the brown sugar, butter, and heavy cream in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Add the walnuts and boil for another 3-4 minutes

Keep aside to cool

To make the Chocolate Ganache

In a high-sided pan, heat the cream untill it comes to a boil

As soon as it starts boiling, turn off the heat and add the chopped chocolate and cocoa

Stir this with a whisk for a minute or so, until the ganache is of a smooth consistency and all the chocolate has melted

Let the ganache cool. The more it cools, the harder the ganache sets

The ganache needs to be of a pipe-able consistency, so you could let it set for a few minutes in the fridge, if you live in a warm area

To Assemble the cake:

Using a serrated knife, cut the tops of the cake layers to flatten them

Spread a layer or caramelized walnuts on one layer and sandwich it with the other layer of cake

Now, using an off-set spatula, transfer the ganache to the cake. I used a turntable and a bench-scraper to smooth the edges of the cake

Top the cake with the caramelized pears and walnuts

Refrigerate the cake after a day, and eat within 5-6 days