Pear Almond Cake
Published Nov 25, 2024
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This Pear Almond Cake is soft, sweet and topped with lots of crunchy sliced almonds! With just 15 minutes of kitchen time and a handful of simple ingredients, you’ll be able to whip it up and serve it for brunch or enjoy it with your afternoon tea.
I love using fresh fruit to create delicious tea-time cakes! When I find some fresh fall apples, I almost always make my old-fashioned apple cake, and my overripe plantains transform into a delicious plantain cake that everyone totally devours.
My Cameroonian banana cake is an absolute hit every time I make it, so with pears being in season, a cake made with pears is perfect. This cake is great for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and dinner parties!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients Needed
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Pear Almond Cake
- 1: Cream Butter and Sugar
- 2: Whisk in the Eggs
- 3: Add the Flours
- 4: Pour Batter into the Pan
- 5: Prep the Pears
- 6: Top with Pears and Almonds
- 7: Bake and Cool
- 8: Top and Serve
- Tips to Make the Best Almond Pear Cake
- What Goes with Pear Almond Cake?
- Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- More Cake Recipes to Try
- Pear Almond Cake Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s super easy to make. If you find baking daunting, this is actually a super simple, uncomplicated recipe to try.
- You can customize it to your liking and try different mix-ins and toppings to give the cake your own twist.
- It’s the perfect cake to serve at tea time or brunch parties and get-togethers. Light, fluffy, and delicious, it’s not heavily frosted and doesn’t require too much effort.
Ingredients Needed
To make the pear apple cake, you’ll just need some fresh pears, almond flour, and some pantry staples. Let’s take a closer look.
Pears: These are the hero ingredient of the recipe, so make sure you choose ones that are ripe, fresh and firm to touch. Pick ones that don’t have any soft spots on their surface. You could also use a combination of different types of pears.
Eggs: For the rich, moist texture and to help the cake get a bit of structure.
Butter: Choose regular unsalted butter. This helps add moisture and richness to the cake.
Flour: I used a mix of regular all-purpose flour and almond flour (ground almonds) here to add a bit of texture and nuttiness to the cake.
Sugar: Classic granulated white sugar works totally well here. I also used icing sugar to dust the cake before serving.
Baking powder: To help the cake rise and get nice and fluffy.
Almond flakes: To top the cake.
Vanilla: For the delicious sweet flavor and aroma.
Lemon zest: Just a bit to brighten up all the flavors of the cake.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap the all purpose flour in the recipe for gluten free baking flour of your choice to make gluten free pear almond cake.
- To make it dairy-free, swap the butter in the recipe for an equal amount of vegetable oil, canola oil or any other neutral-flavored cooking oil of your choice.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon powder (or a mix of both) to the cake batter to add a touch of spice to the cake, and lend it those delicious fall flavors.
- For more almond flavor, add some almond extract to the batter.
How to Make Pear Almond Cake
To make the almond pear cake, prepare all your ingredients and preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease your 8” or 10” baking pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper.
1: Cream Butter and Sugar
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and white sugar, and beat until pale in color and foamy. You can use a stand mixer or do it by hand using a whisk.
2: Whisk in the Eggs
Now add the eggs, one at a time, and continue beating after each addition.
3: Add the Flours
Add the milk, then fold in the almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
4: Pour Batter into the Pan
Spoon the batter into the prepared springform pan and use a spatula to even out the mixture.
5: Prep the Pears
Peel the pears, cut them in half, and remove the core with a small spoon. Place the pears on a cutting board and slice it lengthwise.
6: Top with Pears and Almonds
Arrange the pear slices on top of the batter and sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top.
7: Bake and Cool
Bake the Pear almond cake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the cake from the pan and place on a large plate.
8: Top and Serve
Dust with icing sugar and garnish with some more almond flakes before serving.
Tips to Make the Best Almond Pear Cake
- Use a baking scale to measure the flour correctly. This works wonders when you’re baking a cake.
- Check the expiry date on the baking powder. Using a fresh leavening agent ensures a perfectly light and fluffy cake.
- Avoid overmixing the cake batter, especially after adding the flour. This can make the cake dense and dry.
- The leftover cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Cover it or transfer it to an airtight container. You can also refrigerate it if you want to.
- Remember to top the cake with icing sugar and almond flakes only after it completely cools down.
What Goes with Pear Almond Cake?
This versatile and delicious pear almond cake tastes incredible on its own. If you really want to go the extra mile, here are a few ideas to help you present it in a better way.
- Top a slice of the cake with some ice-cream to make it an indulgent sweet treat or dessert. I love pairing it with a scoop of my homemade vanilla ice cream or no churn coconut ice cream.
- If you’re making this for a brunch or a tea party, serve it with other tea time favorites like vanilla pound cake, Danish butter cookies or lemon shortbread cookies.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
When picking pears, choose fruit that is firm and ripe and doesn’t feel too soft or mushy. You can use almost any variety of pear here; just make sure it has the right texture so it holds up well during baking.
The best way to check if the cake is done is to use a toothpick. Insert it in the center of the cake, and it should come out clean. If it does, the cake is cooked and is ready to come out.
More Cake Recipes to Try
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Pear Almond Cake
Equipment
- 8” – 10” Cake Pan
Ingredients
- 2-3 medium pears ripe
- 4 medium eggs
- 125 gr or 9 tbsp granulated sugar
- 4 oz unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50 ml whole milk
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp almond flakes
- 1 Lemon zest
- Icing sugar for garnish
- Butter to grease the cake pan
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. (No Fan)
- Take an 8” or 10” cake pan or springform pan and grease it with butter. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the butter, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and white sugar, and beat until pale in color and foamy. You can use a stand mixer or do it by hand, using a whisk.
- Now add the eggs, one at a time, and continue beating after each addition. Add the milk, then fold in the almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared springform pan and use a spatula to even out the mixture.
- Peel the pears, cut them in half, and remove the core with a small spoon. Place the pears on a cutting board and slice it lengthwise.
- Arrange the sliced pears on top of the batter and sprinkle the flaked almonds over top.
- Bake the Pear almond cake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes. Check if the cake is done with a toothpick: insert it in the center of the cake and it should come out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the cake from the pan and place on a large plate.
- Dust with icing sugar and garnish with some more almond flakes before serving.
Notes
- Use a baking scale to measure the flour correct. This works wonders when you’re baking a cake- any kind of cake for that matter.
- Make sure you check the expiry date on the baking powder. Using a fresh leavening agent ensures that you have the perfectly light and fluffy and cake.
- Avoid overmixing the cake batter, especially after you have added the flour in. This can make the cake dense and dry.
- Store the leftover cake at room temperature for up to 2 days. Cover it up or transfer it to an airtight container. You can also refrigerate it if you want to.
- Remember to top the cake only after it has completely cooled down.
