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Made with ripe juicy pears, perfectly sweet and melts in the mouth, this Super Moist Pear Cake recipe is the perfect dessert for any occasion. Whether served as a tea-time snack, a dessert, or even at breakfast, this pear cake will quickly become a family favorite.
This easy pear cake recipe is made with simple cake ingredients, hint of spice, and overripe seasonal ripe fresh pears, and is about to be a staple in your family’s household and will become your favorite fall dessert.
If you are looking for simple and delicious cake recipes like this fresh pear cake recipe, try my Pear Bundt Cake Recipe, Easy Moist Blueberry Bundt Cake, Chocolate Cake with Pears, and Pear Upside-Down Cake recipe.
Why You’ll Love this Easy Pear Cake Recipe
- Moist: Pears release natural juices as they bake, infusing the cake with a delicious moist texture.
- Simple Ingredients: No fancy ingredients required – just pantry staples and ripe pears.
- Versatile: You can enjoy this cake warm or at room temperature, and it pairs well with a variety of toppings, from whipped cream to a scoop of ice cream.
- Seasonal Flexibility: While pears are perfect for fall, this cake can be made year-round with substitutions like apples or peaches.
Ingredients To Make Pear Cake
- Flour- I find that all purpose flour works best for the recipe.
- Sugar– I like using granulated cane sugar.
- Confectioner Sugar– Perfect for dusting.
- Butter– Makes the cake soft and give it a thick texture before baking, which prevents the pears from sinking.
- Vegetable Oil– Also adds moisture to the cake.
- Baking Powder– Helps the cake rise.
- Vanilla Extract– To add a delicious hint of flavor.
- Eggs– large eggs, any kind works.
- Milk– I like using whole milk to keep the cake rich.
- Pears– Use your overripe pears. Any kind works, as long as it’s ripe and peeled. I like using green pears.
- Salt– to balance the flavor.
- Lemon Zest– Always a great addition to any baking recipe.
- Toppings: Brown sugar and cinnamon powder.
* Recipe measurements are in the recipe card down below after the post.
How To Make Pear Cake
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 F.
Step 2: Prepare the pears. Peel and slice the Pears. Set aside.
Step 3: Whip up the butter. In an electric mixer bowl, whip up the sugar and softened butter until well combined for about 1 minute.
Step 4: Wet ingredients. Add in the vanilla, lemon zest and eggs. Continue mixing on high speed for 1-2 minutes until they are well combined.
Step 5: Dry ingredients. Add in the baking powder, sifted flour and a pinch of salt. Mix again for about 1 minute. Gradually add the milk and oil while mixing on low speed. Mix for another minute or two on low speed. Batter should be thick.
Step 6: Prepare the pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease or spray a round spring foam baking pan then pour the batter into the pan. Ideally, a 10 x 3 inch deep pan is the best size.
Step 7: Assemble. After placing the batter in your pan, spread a layer of the sliced pears to cover the whole batter. Sprinkle some cinnamon and the brown sugar on top of the pears.
Step 8: Bake in a pre-heated 350 F oven for about 55 minutes to 1 hour. At around 40 minutes, place a foil wrap over the cake to prevent it from browning before it cooks completeley internally. Try not to over bake the cake so doesn’t dry out. Always insert a wooden skewer to make sure it’s completely clean before removing the cake out.
NOTE: Depending on your oven and thickness of your pan, it might take extra baking time.
Step 8: Cool. Remove the cake from the oven and cover with a kitchen towel to let it cool down. It may take up to 1 hour. Dust with some confectioner sugar right before serving.
Tips To Make The Best Pear Cake Recipe
- Choose Ripe Pears: The juicier the pears, the more moist your cake will be. Use Bartlett or Anjou pears for the best results.
- Don’t Overmix: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until combined to avoid a dense cake.
- Grease the Pan Well: To ensure easy removal, use parchment paper or thoroughly grease your baking pan.
- Test for Doneness: Insert a thin wooden skewer into the center of the cake; if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready.
- Cool Completely: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to avoid crumbling.
- Butter: Always use room temperature softened butter. Only use real butter. No fake butters.
- Sugar Dusting: If you are not serving right away, I recommend not dusting the cake right away. The moisture of the pears will absorb the sugar. Dust the cake right before serving.
- Cooking Time: Depending the type of your oven and thickness of the pan, the cake might take less or more time to cook. Insert a tooth pick or skewer into the center of the cake to check if it comes out clean.
- Additions: You may add crushed nuts or raisins right before you add the pears before baking or in the batter. Just dust them with a little bit of AP flour before doing that.
- If you like to make more pear flavor, add 1/2 cup of crushed/pureed fresh pears in your cake batter before baking. It may just take a few more minutes to fully cook over the normal cook time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Always use overripe pears to make this pear cake moist. The juices from the pear gives so much moisture to the cake. Also, always use real, whole fat butter and whole milk. This also helps with the cake’s texture. Never use butter substitutes or fat free milks for cakes.
Prepare the pears by peeling, then slicing in half from the stem end to the bottom. You can then use a small spoon to scoop out the seeds and also remove that tough, thin spine that runs up to the stem end.
This pear cake is great on its own. It can be served warm, room temperature, or cold from the fridge. It’s also great with a scoop of ice cream, coffee, tea or a dollop of whipped cream!
I highly recommend peeling the pears before baking, as their skin grows tough when baked.
Well of course, make this pear cake! If you have way too many, you can always bake a cake for your neighbor or a friend.
Yes, you can absolutely freeze this pear cake. However the texture of the pear slices will change a little after freezing. I would also wrap it very well to preserve any freezer burns, which will dry up the cake. You can freeze for up to one month.
Yes, but be sure to drain canned pears thoroughly and thaw frozen pears to avoid excess moisture in the cake.
Easy Cake Recipes To Try
This Easy Pear Cake recipe is the perfect way to enjoy the natural sweetness of ripe pears in a light, fluffy cake. With easy-to-find ingredients, this recipe is suitable for weeknight dessert or even a brunch snack, guaranteed to please everyone. Enjoy with your favorite toppings, and savor every bite of this tender, fruit-filled delight.
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This recipe was originally posted in March 2019 and updated with new photos.
Super Moist Pear Cake
Equipment
- 10 x 3 inch Round Spring Foam pan (Easy Release) changing pan will change cook time.
- Oven I use a normal electric oven with fan. Using different types of oven will change cook time.
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups cake or all purpose flour, sifted
- 1½ cup sugar, fine granulated white sugar
- ½ cup butter , soft, unsalted
- ⅓ cup canola oil, or vegetable oil
- 3 tsps. baking powder
- 1-2 tbsps. vanilla extract, per preference
- 4 whole eggs, large
- ½ cup milk, whole fat
- 3 whole ripe pears, peeled and thinly sliced
- ⅛ tsp. salt, Just a pinch
- 1 tsp. lemon zest, (optional)
- 2 tbsps. confectioner suger, for dusting after baking
TOPINGS before baking:
- ¼ cup brown sugar, or less as desired
- ¾ tsp. cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Peel and slice the Pears.
- In an electric mixer bowl, whip up the sugar and butter until well combined for about 1 minute.
- Add in the vanilla, lemon zest and eggs. Continue mixing on high speed for 1-2 minutes until they are pale and and fluffy.
- Add in the baking powder, sifted flour and a pinch of salt. Mix again for about 1 minute. Gradually add ½ cup of milk and ⅓ cup oil while mixing on low speed. Mix for another minute on low speed. The batter should be thick. Not runny.
- Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease or spray a round spring foam baking pan then pour the batter in. Ideally, a 10 x 3 inch deep pan is the best size. Changing pan will alter cooking time.
- After placing the batter in your pan, spread a layer of the sliced pears to cover the whole batter. Sprinkle some cinnamon and the brown sugar on top of the pears.
- Bake in a pre-heated 350 F oven for about 55 minutes to 1 hour. At around 40 minutes, place a foil wrap over the cake to prevent it from browning before it cooks completeley internally. Try not to over bake the cake so doesn't dry out. Always insert a wooden skewer to make sure it's completely clean before removing the cake out.NOTE: Depending on your oven and thickness of your pan, it might take extra baking time.
- Remove the cake from the oven and cover with a kitchen towel to let it cool down. It may take up to 1 hour to completely cool down. Dust with some confectioner sugar right before serving.
Video
Notes
- Choose Ripe Pears: The juicier the pears, the more moist your cake will be. Use Bartlett or Anjou pears for the best results.
- Don’t Overmix: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until combined to avoid a dense cake.
- Grease the Pan Well: To ensure easy removal, use parchment paper or thoroughly grease your baking pan.
- Test for Doneness: Insert a thin wooden skewer into the center of the cake; if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready.
- Cool Completely: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to avoid crumbling.
- Butter: Always use room temperature softened butter. Only use real butter. No fake butters.
- Sugar Dusting: If you are not serving right away, I recommend not dusting the cake right away. The moisture of the pears will absorb the sugar. Dust the cake right before serving.
- Cooking Time: Depending the type of your oven and thickness of the pan, the cake might take less or more time to cook. Insert a tooth pick or skewer into the center of the cake to check if it comes out clean.
- I use electric oven on normal BAKE mode that has a fan. Not conventional or any other specific type of oven. Different types of ovens will result in different cook times and result. That is not within my control. Insert a tooth pick or skewer into the center of the cake to check if it comes out clean.
Loved this cake.