This heavenly pear bundt cake from a cake mix is the perfect blend of convenience and homemade goodness.
Making pear cake from a cake mix is so easy, resulting in a dessert that’s bursting with juicy pear chunks and topped with a creamy glaze.
It’s a simple yet irresistibly delicious treat!
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Apples and peaches get a lot of attention in baked goods, but can we just take a moment to appreciate the sheer magic of pears?
From their luscious sweetness to that unmistakable juicy crunch, they’re like nature’s little love notes.
Not only are pears perfect for snacking, but when it comes to making delicious desserts, pears always steal the show.
And if you’re able to pick those pears yourself, it makes it even more special.
There’s just something to strolling through the orchard, plucking the ripest fruit straight from the branch, and then bringing it home to work its magic in the kitchen.
I’m no stranger to pear desserts (they’re some of my favorites!) and my no-peel fresh pear cake and old-fashioned pear cake recipes have served me well.
But, I’ve also always had a soft spot for simple, no-fuss recipes that pack a punch in the flavor department.
That’s why I knew I needed to come up with a shortcut recipe for pear cake made with a cake mix!
This is a soft, moist cake bursting with chunks of fresh, juicy pears, then topped with a creamy icing.
It’s the kind of dessert that’s both comforting and luxurious, all at once.
More Tasty Pear Recipes You’ll Love:
- Best Ever Pear Bread
- Homemade Fresh Pear Cobbler
- Pear Muffins
- Banana Pear Bread
- Easy Cake Mix Pear Cobbler
- Homemade Spiced Pear Butter
- Banana Pear Cake
Tips for Using Fresh Pears
The first step to ensuring your cake mix recipe using fresh pears turns out irresistibly delicious is selecting the perfect pears.
Here are some handy tips to help you choose and prepare the best pears for your baking adventure:
- Look for pears that are tender (not mushy) when you gently press near the stem. You can even use overripe pears for this recipe, so they don’t go to waste!
- Ripe pears should have a sweet, floral aroma emanating from the stem end is also a good indicator of ripeness.
- Different pear varieties offer unique flavors and textures. Common varieties like Bartlett, Bosc, and Anjou are all excellent choices for baking.
- To prepare the pears for your pear bundt cake, begin by gently peeling the pears to remove the skin. Then, core and slice them into bite-sized chunks.
How to Make A Pear Cake Using A Cake Mix
It’s really easy to make this simple recipe!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
FOR THE CAKE:
- Spice Cake Mix
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
- Water
- Vegetable Oil
- Sour Cream
- Eggs
- Diced Pears
FOR THE ICING:
- Unsalted Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Milk
- Powdered Sugar
How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe card is available below)
Make the cake batter. First, you’ll combine cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, sour cream, and eggs in a stand mixer.
Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.
Then increase speed to medium-high for an additional 2 minutes.
Add the pears. Next, you’ll turn off mixer and add diced pears to the batter.
Stir in by hand or with your mixer on its lowest speed, just until incorporated.
Bake the cake. Next, you’ll pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for about 45-48 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, run a knife along the edges of the cake to loosen from the pan, if needed.
Invert the cake onto a serving plate to cool completely.
Melt butter and sugar. Next, you’ll prepare icing by combining butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Bring the mixture to a low boil, stirring constantly until the brown sugar is dissolved.
Add the milk. Next, you’ll remove from heat and gradually stir in 2 tablespoons of milk.
The mixture should resemble a caramel sauce.
Cream the icing. Next, you’ll add powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a small mixing bowl if using a handheld mixer).
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the caramel sauce to the powdered sugar, mixing until combined and no lumps remain.
Pour the icing. Last, you’ll drizzle caramel icing over the cooled cake, and allow the icing to cool/harden to a silky smooth finish.
Then serve and enjoy!
Notes and Adaptations:
- The icing for this cake is technically optional, but I do love the sweetness and depth of caramel flavor it brings. If you skip the icing, you can always just dust the cake with some powdered sugar instead.
- If you don’t have sour cream on hand, you can use plain Greek yogurt instead.
- You can always add some more spices to the batter if you’d like. I sometimes add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg to spice cake mixes for a more intense flavor.
Recommended Equipment:
Easy Pear Cake Made With a Cake Mix
This delicious pear cake is made with a cake mix and fresh pears, then topped with a delightful caramel icing.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 13.25-oz spice cake mix
- 3.4-oz instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups diced pears (from approx. 3-4 ripe pears)
For the Icing:
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2-4 Tablespoons milk, divided
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a bundt pan well.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl if using a handheld mixer), combine cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, sour cream, and eggs.
- Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed. Then increase speed to medium-high for an additional 2 minutes.
- Turn off mixer and add diced pears to the batter. Stir in by hand or with your mixer on its lowest speed, just until incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for about 45-48 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, run a knife along the edges of the cake to loosen from the pan, if needed. Invert the cake onto a serving plate to cool completely.
- Once cake is cooled, prepare icing by combining butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring the mixture to a low boil, stirring constantly until the brown sugar is dissolved.
- Remove from heat and gradually stir in 2 tablespoons of milk. The mixture should resemble a caramel sauce.
- Add powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a small mixing bowl if using a handheld mixer), With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the caramel sauce to the powdered sugar, mixing until combined and no lumps remain.
- If needed, mix in an additional 1-2 tablespoons of milk to thin the frosting to where it can be drizzled.
- Drizzle caramel icing over the cooled cake, and allow the icing to cool/harden to a silky smooth finish. Then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- The icing for this cake is technically optional, but I do love the sweetness and depth of caramel flavor it brings. If you skip the icing, you can always just dust the cake with some powdered sugar instead.
- If you don't have sour cream on hand, you can use plain Greek yogurt instead.
- You can always add some more spices to the batter if you'd like. I sometimes add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg to spice cake mixes for a more intense flavor..
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 385Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 458mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 1gSugar: 42gProtein: 4g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
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