Italian Pear Cake
This Italian pear cake is a simple, slightly rustic dessert that’s sweet but not too much. The pears get all soft and juicy in the oven, and the cake itself is kind of tender with a bit of a crumbly edge. It’s one of those recipes that you probably have everything for already, except maybe the pears if they’re not in season.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Loaf pan
- Measuring cups
- Oven
Ingredients
- 3 ripe pears peeled and sliced
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon optional but nice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan or line it with parchment paper, whatever you have on hand.
- In a mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together until it looks kind of fluffy but don’t stress about it being perfect.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing gently after each. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon if using, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix just until combined. The batter will be thick.
- Fold in the sliced pears gently so they don’t get mushy. You might have a little pear juice in the bowl, that’s fine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top a bit. It won’t be perfectly smooth because of the pears.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, some crumbs are okay.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack or plate. It’s good warm or at room temperature.
Notes
This cake keeps okay for a couple days wrapped in foil or plastic wrap. The pears make it a bit moist so it won’t dry out too fast. If you want, a dusting of powdered sugar on top is nice but not necessary.