Roasted-Pear Poundcake With Chocolate Sauce

4 large, firm pears, peeled, halved, cored and cut across into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder

Nutritional Information
- Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
  990 calories; 43 grams fat; 26 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 143 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 86 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 194 milligrams cholesterol; 482 milligrams sodium

Eight to ten servings

For the cake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the pear slices on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Place the pears in a food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until very light; batter will appear curdled at this point. Mix in the vanilla and the pear puree.
Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix the dry ingredients into the batter just until combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top springs back when touched in the center, about 1 hour. Place on a rack to cool. Turn the cake out of the pan and reinvert onto a cake plate.
To make the sauce, place the chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Whisk in the cream and brandy. If making the sauce in advance, rewarm before serving. To serve, place a slice of cake on a plate and spoon the chocolate sauce beside it.

1 hour 25 minutes