Cozy up with this moist and festive Pear Cake with cinnamon buttercream. The pears literally melt into the cake making it so soft and flavorful. It's like fall on a fork!
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If you want a seasonal celebration cake that's got tons of flavor but not too fussy or full or extra flair? Then you have to make this pear layer cake. It is simple while still being super moist thanks to loads of shredded pears that melt into the batter.
This pear cake is layered with creamy cinnamon frosting. The cinnamon does a fantastic job of adding a lovely warming flavor while also taming down the sweetness of the buttercream.
Making this cake for a special occasion? Top it with fresh flowers! You will have a little extra buttercream for decorating as well.
Tools and Equipment
You will need a few extra kitchen tools beyond your standard mixing bowls to make this cake. The cake batter is stirred together by hand but you will need an electric mixer to make the fluffy frosting. Both a hand or stand mixer work fine.
The recipe calls for shredded apples. I used a box grater. No need for a food processor here. If you don't have a box grater, peel and finely dice the pears. The cake will still taste great!
Lastly, this cake is baked in three, 6-inch cake pans. You could easily use two 8 or 9-inch cake pans as well.
How to Make a Pear Cake
- Shred the Pears - peel ripe pears and then shred them using a box grater. The large holes are fine. Rotate the pear to grate each side, down to the core.
- Mix the Batter - Whisk together the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, milk, sugar) in a large bow. Then, stir in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and spices)
- Fold in the Pears - Add the shredded pears and fold together with a large rubber spatula.
- Bake!
- Make the Cinnamon Buttercream - whip the butter until smooth then add the vanilla and cinnamon. Next add the powdered sugar and cream. Gradually increase the mixing speed so that the sugar doesn't fly every where. Mix on high until light and fluffy.
- Fill and Stack the Cake - trim the tops of the cake so that they are flat and even. Fill the cake layers with the cinnamon buttercream. Smoothly frost the cake with the buttercream.
- Decorate - use a star piping tip to pipe on any extra buttercream around the edges of the cake. Add fresh fall flowers or other decorations of your liking.
Serving and Storage
Serve this pear cake at room temperature. The buttercream is creamy and cake is soft. Store the cake at room temperature overnight. If making in advance, store in the refrigerator. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving.
Wrap leftover in plastic wrap. The cake is best enjoyed within 4 days of baking.
To freeze, wrap baked and cooled cake layers in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw the frozen cakes in the refrigerator over night.
If making the buttercream in advance, store at room temperature overnight or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Bring cold buttercream out to room temperature then re-whip before using.
The Best Frostings for Pear Cake
Pears are so wonderful in the fall, so naturally they go really well with warm spices. I love this cake with cinnamon buttercream the best.
If you don't want to use cinnamon, a simple whipped vanilla buttercream goes really well most any cake. You could also try brown butter buttercream.
Pear Cake Recipe FAQS
Bake with ripe Bartlett, Anjou, or Bosc pears. Barlett pears will lighten and turn yellow when ripe.
You may substitute the sour cream with equal parts plain Greek yogurt or buttermilk.
You can use two 8 or 9-inch pans instead. Adjust the bake time accordingly.
More Recipes To Try
Recipe
Pear Cake with Cinnamon Frosting
Ingredients
For the Pear Cake
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 small, ripe pears peeled and grated
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup avocado or canola oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup sour cream
For the Cinnamon Buttercream
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted, if needed
- 2 to 3 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
Instructions
To Make the Pear Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three, 6-inch cakes.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. Peel and grate the pears. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the sugars and oil. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add the milk and whisk again.
- Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Stir together until the batter comes together and is smooth. Add the pears and fold together until combined.
- Pour the batter into the pans. Bake for 26 to 32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes on a wire rack for 20 minutes before removing from their pans.
To Make the Cinnamon Buttercream
- Add the softened butter to a bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the paddle attachment (on in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer). Whip the butter for a couple of minutes until it is completely smooth.
- Add the vanilla and cinnamon to the whipped butter. Mix until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons cream or milk. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix until incorporated. Gradually increase the speed and whip the buttercream on high for 3 to 5 minutes. The buttercream will be smooth and fluffy. If it is too thick, add in more cream.
- After mixing, turn the speed to low and allow to mix for an additional 2 minutes to smooth it out.
To Assemble
- Trim the tops of the cooled cakes so that they are flat and even. Place one layer of cake on a cake board or serving plate. Scoop about 1 cup of buttercream on top and spread with an offset spatula.
- Repeat with another layer of cake and buttercream. Place the last layer of cake on top. Smoothly frost the cake with a thin layer of buttercream to create a crumb coat. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Once slightly chilled, remove the cake from the fridge. Stir the buttercream with a spatula to make sure it's still nice and fluffy. Fully frost the cake with the buttercream. If you have extra, use a piping tip fitted with a star tip to pipe decorative shells around the top and bottom edges. Decorate with fresh flowers, or as desired.
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