Chocolate Gingerbread With Warm Pear Sauce

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 (2-ounce) jar crystallized ginger, finely chopped
• 1 cup (6-ounce package) semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 (15 1/4-ounce) cans pear halves, drained and chopped

1. Whisk together first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Combine flour, salt, ginger, and cardamom; set aside.
3. Beat 1/2 cup butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add granulated sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar; beat until creamy. Add egg, and beat until blended. Slowly add buttermilk mixture to butter mixture; beat 2 minutes. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture just until combined. Fold in crystallized ginger and chocolate morsels. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 9-inch square pan.
4. Bake at 350u0b0 for 53 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
5. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add pears; cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring gently to coat. Serve warm sauce over cake.

buttermilk, molasses, baking soda, flour, salt, ground ginger, ground cardamom, butter, cream cheese, sugar, brown sugar, egg, ginger, chocolate, butter, brown sugar, pear halves

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-gingerbread-with-warm-pear-sauce (may not work)