Juicy pears make this Pear Cake extra-super moist, and the buttery brown sugar cinnamon streusel on top might just be the best part. Bonus: this simple cake works for breakfast or dessert, which means you have twice as many reasons to make (and eat!) it.
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We love a moist cake!
Folding fruit into cake batter has two purposes. It’s scrumptious, of course. But it also releases moisture into the cake, which keeps it tender after a day or two, when other cakes would usually dry out. (Fresh Apple Cake and this Apple Coffee Cake work the same way.)
I’m especially excited about this recipe because it gives pears, which often get passed over in favor of apples, a chance to shine. Yes, I love simple Baked Pears, but there’s something especially cozy about the act of folding them into a cinnamon-scented cake batter, then showering it with crumb topping.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Streusel. The streusel contains many of the same ingredients as the cake itself, plus oats for hearty texture and brown sugar for cozy sweetness.
- Flour. I use a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour, which sneaks a little extra nutrition in and gives the pear cake a subtle nutty flavor. If you don’t keep whole wheat flour on hand, you can use only all-purpose flour—just swap out the whole wheat for extra all-purpose.
- Spices. Pears work with the same warm spices as apples; I use cinnamon and ginger here. Cardamom would also be a delight.
- Butter. Using butter instead of oil makes for a richer cake. Make sure the butter is room temperature so it blends smoothly.
- Eggs. Let these come to room temperature with the butter. They’ll hold more air when beaten, giving your cake a lighter texture.
- Greek Yogurt. Or sour cream, if you prefer. For that extra tender crumb!
- Buttermilk. Or regular milk. Buttermilk will add a bit of tang; it also reacts with the baking soda to give your pear cake more rise in the oven.
- Bartlett Pear. A ripe Bartlett pear is golden yellow. They are the only variety of pear that changes color as it ripens! (Love pear recipes? Try this Pear Crisp next.)
How to Make Pear Cake
Make the Streusel. Combine the dry ingredients, then mix in the melted butter with your hands. (Make sure it’s cooled a little first. Don’t burn yourself!) You want a good mix of large and small streusel crumbles for the perfect texture.
Mix the Dry Ingredients. Whisk them together in a medium mixing bowl.
Mix the Wet Ingredients. Cream the butter, sugar, and honey with an electric mixer. The color will lighten and the mixture will become fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and yogurt.
Finish the Batter. Stir a third of the buttermilk into the wet ingredients, then half of the dry ingredients. Repeat with the remaining buttermilk and dry ingredients, then fold in the pears.
Bake. Transfer the batter to a greased pan and sprinkle the streusel on top. Bake the pear cake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then, if you’re using a springform pan, release the sides and transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Switch Up the Fruit. Use this pear cake recipe as a template for other fruit cakes. As long as you keep the batter-to-fruit ratio the same, you can swap in apples, blueberries, or other pear varieties.
- Go Halfsies. Use half a pear and half an apple for a tasty mix.
- Add a Glaze. Mix powdered sugar with a little bit of milk and vanilla extract until it’s thick but drizzle-able and use a spoon to drizzle it over the top of the streusel. Or, if you’re serving this pear cake for dessert, drizzle it with warm caramel.
- Give It Some Crunch. Chopped walnuts would add some nuttiness and texture to this cake; you can add them in the batter or to the streusel. (If you add walnuts to the streusel, you may need to tent the cake with foil at some point during the baking process to keep them from burning.)
Pear Cake
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Ingredients
- ½ cup whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons ½ stick unsalted butter melted
For the Pear Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour or additional all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
- ¾ cup buttermilk or regular milk
- 1 large Bartlett pear peeled, cored, and diced into ¼-inch pieces, about 2 cups
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round springform pan or an 8×8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and, if using a springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Make the streusel: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter and mix with your hands until the mixture holds together when pressed. You should have some larger (quarter-sized) chunks and smaller (pea-sized) balls. Cover and chill while you prepare the cake.
- Make the cake: In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a separate bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and honey on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each, then the vanilla. Beat in the yogurt, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- By hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in a third of the buttermilk, then half the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Stir in another third of the buttermilk and the remaining dry ingredients, then finish with the remaining buttermilk. Do not over-mix and stop as soon the ingredients are combined. Fold in the pears.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with the streusel mixture. Bake the pear cake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- TO STORE: Wrap the cake in plastic wrap or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- TO FREEZE: Wrap the cake tightly—either the whole cake or individual slices. Place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave in 15-second intervals until heated through.
Nutrition
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Pear cake turned out perfectly. We really like the pear pieces in the mixture. The streusel crumbles on top was really good as well. My daughter requested a vanilla ice cream on top and it was a perfect combination. Thank you so much for the recipe!
So great to hear! Thank you Alyson!
Loved it! Baking after such a long time and I am glad I came across this simple recipe. It indeed was a winner, it’s gone within a few hours. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Helen!
I never post a comment about a recipe but I had to do that today. This cake is so simple and so surprisingly amazing. The sweetness is spot on, the cake is so moist and the pears add a very delicate texture. It was just a pleasure to eat it with my best cup of coffee. I will surely be making it again and again!!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Danielle! Thank you!