Preheat an oven to 350°F and position rack in the center.

Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter and dust with flour. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until melted and slightly brown with a nutty aroma, about 6 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a wire whip attachment, add the eggs and sugar and whip on high speed until pale and very thick, about 5 minutes.

Using a large silicone spatula, fold in one third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the butter mixture. Add another one third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining butter and then the rest of the flour. Fold until just combined, ensuring the mixture does not lose volume.

Assemble and bake cake: Using a silicone spatula, pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the pear over the top and cover with the remaining batter. Transfer to the oven to bake until cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and is golden-brown, about 50 to 60 minutes.

Chocolate topping: Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Using a spoon drizzle the top of the cake with the melted chocolate. Cook cake on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before removing the sides.

To serve: Cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream on the side.