Loaded with pears, perfectly sweet and melts in the mouth – this Super Moist Pear Cake recipe is divine! Whether you are that person who loves to have a piece of cake with your cup of tea or coffee, or just that person who has a sweet tooth for cakes anytime during the day or after a filling meal, I am sure this will satisfy your cravings.
This cake is the perfect go to cake recipe. It’s so moist and delicious, you will want to make it over and over again. Made with simple cake ingredients and overripe pears, this cake will be a staple in your family’s household.
If you are looking for simple and delicious cake recipes, try my Super Moist Blueberry Bundt Cake, No Bake Chocolate Cake, Molten Chocolate Lava Cake , and this Blueberry Lemon Bread recipe.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this Moist Cake recipe
- Convenient: This recipe is not only easy to make, but it’s made with simple ingredients found in your pantry.
- Tastes perfect: This recipe was tested many times. The sweetness is perfect, the flavor is perfect, the texture is so moist, it melts in your mouth with very bite.
- Very adaptable: You can make this recipe with any kind of fruit you want. Test with your some of your favorite fruits and choose your favorite.
Ingredients needed to make a Pear Cake
- AP Flour- I find that this works best for the recipe.
- Sugar– I like using granulated cane sugar
- Confectioner Sugar– Perfect for dusting because it melts in your mouth.
- Butter– Makes the cake soft.
- 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.
How to make a Pear Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Peel and slice the Pears. Set aside.
- In an electric mixer bowl, whip up the sugar and softened 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 well combined.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 1 hour. Depending on your oven and thickness of your pan, it might take extra baking time. If your cake is brown before it gets cooked on the inside, cover with aluminum foil and continue to cook for the rest of the time. 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.
- 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.
Recipe Tips:
- Always use room temperature softened butter.
- 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.
- Only use real butter. No fake butters.
- Do not use a smaller pan other than what is recommended, which is 10 x 3″ round spring foam pan (easy release pan).
- Do not use under ripe pears. Always use soft pears, but not mushy pears
- Depending on your oven and thickness of the pan, the cake might take less or more time. Insert a tooth pick or skewer into the center of the cake to check if it comes out clean.
- You may add nuts or raisins right before the pears before baking, if you like. Just dust them with a little bit of AP flour before doing that.
- If you like pears in your cake batter, add 1/2 cup of ripe pureed/mashed pear in the cake batter before baking. It may just take a few more minutes to fully cook over the normal cook time.
FAQ’s for making a moist pear cake
Always use overripe pears to make this cake moist. The juices from the pear gives so much moisture to the cake. Also, always use real, whole fat butter. This also helps with the cake’s texture. Never use butter substitutes.
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 heated.
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. But this cake will not last more than a couple of days, so I highly doubt you will need to freeze it. It will be gone in no time.
Mouthwatering sweet treats to try
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Super Moist Pear Cake recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it, and share it with your friends and family!
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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:
- 1/4 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 on the middle rack for 1 hour. NOTE: If your cake becomes golden on the outside at around 45 minutes and the cake is still pretty runny on the inside, cover the cake with aluminum foil wrap and tuck the sides a little and continue to cook the cake for another 15 minutes. Insert a wooden skewer to make sure it's completely clean before removing the cake. It may take less or a bit more time depending on your oven.
- 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
-
- I use electric oven on normal BAKE mode. 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.
- If your cake is brown on the outside and runny still on the inside, cover with aluminum foil and continue to bake.
- Always use room temperature softened butter.
- 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.
- The recommended pan size is 10 x 3″ round spring foam pan (easy release pan). Anything else used, will alter the cooking time.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in March 2019 and updated with new photos.
Elausa says
Hi, your prep time is very of , it took me more then 30 min to prep before was ready to go in the oven . Is it just me ??
Thanks !
Ela
Mariam E. says
Hi Elausa,
Everyone works at a different pace. But it’s okay if it took longer for you as long as you are happy with the end result. It’s worth it 🙂
Catherine says
I’m waiting for the cake to bake. I looked at the calorie count and you say 366 calories per ONE gram serving! Hah, hah! Must be a typo. Who eats one gram of cake?
Mariam E. says
Hey!
Sorry about that. I transferred to a new recipe card recently and some of the numbers got messed up. It’s per serving not gram. I will update that soon.
Anonymous says
Can I use vegan butter as a substitute for regular butter?
Mariam E. says
Hi there,
I have never personally tried that. Not sure how it will come out.
Suzan says
I just tried this warm and it was delish! Looking forward to see how it tastes with my morning coffee. Btw, I used a 10” round that is a smidge under 3” depth and no overflow issue. Whew! The timing and temps suggested worked exactly as outlined in my case. From what I read elsewhere, timing can differ with attitude we live in… so perhaps that’s why some others had to bake longer then we.
Mariam E. says
Hi Susan!
Thanks for leaving a review. Glad it worked out great for you!
Teresa says
I would to know if there is a typing error in the ingredients it saids one aomount of milk and oil then on the instructions there is another amount of milk and oil. Which is correct. And had to cook it longer than the instections. Please let me know thank you. Teresa
Mariam E. says
Hi Teresa!
Sorry that was a mistake after editing the recipe To fit the right pan. It’s updated same as ingredients.
Nilofar Ali says
My granddaughter stayed over the week end with me . She and i went on line to look for a receipe to bake a cake . We came across your receipe for the pear cake , we baked it and it was absouletly delicious!! Next time i am going to add two layers of pears , one in the middle and one on top !!
Thanks
DR N Ali
Mariam E. says
Hi Nilofar,
So happy you and your granddaughter enjoyed the recipe.
Dorine says
Hi Mima,
I really like this recipe but I’m confused when viewing the comments.
You have replied Hanaa that butter is 170 g? But in your recipe, butter is only 1/2 cup which is 113g as confirmed by your reply. So what is the actual amount of butter in this recipe?
Tks & Cheers!
Mariam E. says
Hi Dorine,
I am sorry for the confusion. The recipe was slightly updated because people were having different results because of their pans. It will be just the 1/2 stick of butter which is 1/2 cup.
Shahnaz says
Can you use tinned pears instead
Mariam E. says
Hi Shahnaz,
I never really use canned fruits except for pineapple for baking. But you can try it. It might just taste a little different.
Catherine Wells says
This was super yummy but I have to bake it an extra 30 minutes and it was no where near as pretty as yours. Mine also overflowed my pan even though it was a 9” circle cake pan. I’d love to problem solve this one as I loved the flavor of the cake! Thanks
Mariam E. says
Hi Catherine,
Glad you enjoyed the recipe. I am going to update this recipe tomorrow to a specific pan size and type to prevent this issue and make it easier for everyone.
Jan says
Made this tonight, almost gone already. Soooooooooooo delicious. I did have to bake mine for an extra 30 mins too but worth the wait. Best sponge I’ve ever made. Thank you
Mariam E. says
Hi Jan!
Thank you so much for leaving a review. I really appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed the recipe. I will look into the cook time again and specify the best pan to get the right timing.
Maria says
Hmm. The flavor of the cake batter nicely complemented the pears. But I had to bake it an extra 35 minutes. . And half of the pear slices, especially ones in the middle, sank to the bottom. It was not a pretty cake. But it did taste good.
Mariam E. says
Hi Maria!
I am sorry you had problems making it. The baking dish changes things a lot. Not sure what you used. Also some ovens are different than others(especially overseas) so it’s perfectly okay if you needed more time. I am glad it tasted good for you in the end!
Rebecca says
So it didn’t come out so well… I used a 9” round pan & it completely overflowed. Didn’t notice til a minute ago that you used a SPRINGFORM PAN, which is much deeper, even though in the recipe you just wrote pan. It’s been cooking for over an hour now & it’s still raw in the middle. I don’t know what went so wrong. Maybe I’ll try it again another day in a springform pan at a higher temp & see how it goes.
Mariam E. says
Hey Rebecca!
I am sorry I am not sure what went wrong. The cake’s consistency should not be too loose or else it wont cook. You can add a tiny bit more flour if you end up in that situation. You can also use a deeper but wider pan to make the cooking process easier. Feel free to email me if you have any problems when you mix it. I would be happy to help.
Mariam E. says
Hi Rebecca!
I have updated the recipe with specific pan measurement and type. Please go through the instructions again on the recipe card to see the update. Please do not use a higher temp. It will burn on the outside and stay raw on the inside. I hope it works out for you this time.
Kim says
I made this today. It is absolutely delicious. I added the extra sugar n batter and tossed my pears in the brown sugar while mixing recipe. So good
Mariam E. says
Thank you so much for leaving a review and comment! I am glad you liked it!
Hanaa says
Hello Mima
In your ingredients you said 1 and 1/2 cup of sticks butter so how many grams is that…
Thanks
Hanaa
Mariam E. says
Hi Hanaa!
Every 1 stick of butter is 1/2 cup and that is equal to 113g. So you are looking at 170g of butter
Adam says
Hi, I just made this, is it 1/2 cup butter (one stick) or 1 and half sticks of butter which would be 3/4 cup butter? I ask because there seemed to be way too much sugar to make whipping it with that amount (1/2 cup or one stick) result in a fluffy butter/sugar mixture. It was very heavy, like wet sand and the butter never really fluffed.
Also the cake seemed a touch too sweet, can you confirm the butter and sugar measurements?
Other than that, it was great!
Mariam E. says
Hi Adam!
Thanks for inquiring. Was your butter soft at room temperature? It’s 1/2 cup so 1 stick. Also it all depends on the sugar you are using. The sugar I use is the white fine granulated sugar and beat it for a few minutes. If you are using like cane sugar which is more granulated it will more grainy. I guy that from costco and don’t like using it in my baking. Its too grainy and harder to melt down. If the sugar if too much for your taste, you can use just one cup. It’s all based on your preference. Another tip you can do if your sugar is more coarse, while the sugar and butter are beating, you can add in the oil a couple of tablespoons at a time to fluffy it up and make the sugar melt a little better. Also use the whisk attachment and make sure the butter is soft. You can also replace the oil with the butter so that would be 3/4 cup butter instead (a stick and half). Butter makes the texture extra soft so you might get a slightly different texture and might have to cook it a bit more. A great tip is around 30-40 minutes into baking any cake, you can lay an aluminum foil wrap on top of the cake and lightly secure it (not too tight) and cook for the remainder of the time while the cake is covered, it will come out perfectly cooked on the inside without getting too brown on the outside.