This Italian Pear Cake is the ultimate fall dessert, light, fluffy, and packed with the natural sweetness of pears. With just eight simple ingredients, this recipe is quick to make and perfectly captures the essence of the season.
The juicy pears lend a tender, moist texture to the cake, while a hint of citrus zest adds a bright, refreshing flavor. It’s a one-bowl recipe that’s easy to whip up, yet the result is rich, flavorful, and memorable.
Serve this versatile cake as it is, or take it up a notch with a dollop of whipped cream, a drizzle of orange curd, smooth zabaglione, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Whether for cozy fall afternoons, family gatherings, or special occasions, this cake is always a crowd-pleaser.
Enjoy it warm or at room temperature, and let the Italian Pear Cake showcase one of the season’s most delicious fruits. This simple, yet elegant dessert will quickly become a favorite, and your family and friends will be asking for it again and again!
Together with my Italian apple cake, this is one of my favorite fall desserts, perfect for birthdays, cozy afternoons, or a weekend treat!
Ingredients : Italian Pear Cake
For this easy cake made with pears, you’ll need basic ingredients you most probably have in your pantry already.
Here are the 9 ingredients you’ll need:
- Pears: Use your favorite fresh pears variety. Bosc pears, Bartlett, Anjou, or Comice pears will work great. I don’t recommend using canned pears, because their texture is too soft.
- Flour: I use regular all-plain flour or Italian 00 flour.
- Butter: Always use room-temperature butter. You can swap it with extra-virgin olive oil to make a dairy-free pear cake.
- Eggs: Opt for medium-sized eggs at room temperature.
- Sugar: I use raw cane sugar, but regular granulated sugar works just as fine.
- Honey: It’s optional, but it adds a lovely flavor to this cake.
- Baking powder: A little baking powder gives the cake a soft and bouncy texture.
- Lemon: Opt for an organic lemon, because you will use both the zest and juice. You can substitute it with orange if you like.
- Vanilla: It’s optional, but a welcomed extra layer of flavor.
VARIATIONS
- Almonds: For a delicious pear almond cake version, simply add ¼ US cup (25 gram) of almond flour or almond meal.
- Cocoa: Add 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder for a light chocolatey aroma.
- Chocolate: For a simple pear and chocolate cake, add 3 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips.
- Spices: Add ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger for a lightly spiced note.
How to make Italian pear cake
This pear cake recipe couldn’t be easier to make!
You only need one bowl, and it takes just 10 minutes to put together.
Check out the quick recipe overview below with step-by-step pictures.
Scroll down until the end of the post for the full printable recipe.
STEP 1. Whisk butter and sugar until well blended, fluffy and pale yellow. Then whisk in one egg at a time, followed by lemon zest, and vanilla.
STEP 2. Place a sieve over the bowl and add flour and baking powder, whisk briefly to combine all the ingredients.
STEP 3. Add in chopped pears and mix briefly to combine all ingredients.
STEP 4. Pour the batter into the cake pan, top with sliced pears, and bake for about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool and serve.
Once your cake is baked, brush the top with apricot jam, orange jam, or peach jam: it’ll give the cake a beautiful glaze and make it even more delicious!
Baking tips: Italian Pear Cake
- Measure your ingredients: For the best baking results, I always recommend using a baking scale to weigh your ingredients.
- Cut pears into small pieces: Peel and chop your pears into small cubes. If the pieces are too big, they might sink to the bottom or not cook all the way through.
- Don’t over-mix the batter: Once the ingredients are combined, do not continue mixing. Over-mixing can make the cake dry or tough.
- Don’t over-bake: The cake is ready when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, and the top is no longer sticky or wet.
Storage tips: Italian Pear Cake
- Serve: You can leave your easy pear cake at room temperature for up to 1 hour. If you want to keep it out longer, store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot in your kitchen.
- Fridge: The cake will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Cut the cake into slices, place them on a tray, and freeze for 30 minutes. Then, transfer the slices into ziplock bags and freeze for up to 1 month.
This Italian pear cake is light, fluffy, and easy to make with just 8 ingredients – A simple pear dessert perfect for fall season!
Ingredients
- 600 g pears, peeled and cored, about 5 pears
- 120 ml butter, at room temperature
- 120 g sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon honey, optional
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder, approx 15 gram
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/360°F and adjust a baking rack onto the middle shelf. Grease and line with parchment paper a 9-inch cake pan and set it aside.
- Chop about ½ of the pears for the cake batter and set them aside. Slice or chop the remaining fruit for the topping, and set them aside.
- In a large bowl whisk the butter and sugar with an electric whisker until light, pale, and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Then gently whisk one egg at a time, followed by the lemon zest, honey, vanilla (if using), and a pinch of sea salt.
- Place a sieve/ strainer over the bowl. Add flour and baking powder, and sift into the cake batter. Whisk until just combined (do not overmix).
- Add the chopped pears to the batter and mix until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Top the batter with the remaining fresh fruit.
- Bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of baking time, cover the top of the cake with foil to prevent it from browning too much. To check if the cake is ready, insert a toothpick in the center, if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
- Remove the cake from the oven, allow to cool, then gently remove the cake from the pan.
- Brush your Italian pear cake with apricot jam, or dust with powdered sugar and serve at room temperature. It’s lovely topped with vanilla ice cream, fresh cream, or Greek yogurt.
Notes
Measure your ingredients: I always recommend using a baking scale to weigh your ingredients. US cups measurements are provided but please refer to grams measurements for best results.
Cut pears into small pieces: Peel and chop your pears into small cubes. If the pieces are too big, they might sink to the bottom or not cook all the way through.
Don’t over-mix the batter: Once the ingredients are combined, do not continue mixing. Over-mixing can make the cake dry or tough.
Don’t over-mix the batter: Once the ingredients are combined, do not continue mixing. Over-mixing can make the cake dry or tough.
Storage tips: Store your cake in an airtight container in the fridge or in a cool spot in your kitchen, for up to 3 days. You can cut into slices and freeze individually in freezer bags up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 209mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.