Easy Old-Fashioned Pear Cake

This easy pear cake recipe is an old-fashioned favorite, made with ripe fresh pears and warm spices.

Old-fashioned pear cake is a fabulous way to use up extra pears before they go bad! Make a spiced bundt cake with this simple recipe that’s sure to become a tradition in your home!

close-up view of a slice of pear cake laying on its side on a white plate

Note: This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase, this site may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

As summer unfolds into fall, the season brings bounteous harvests of apples, prompting visitors to trek to local orchards for picking.

But another fruit that’s often overshadowed this time of year is pears!

Pear season typically overlaps with apple season, so many areas around the country get to enjoy sweet, soft, juicy pears to their hearts’ content.

My daughter and I adore fresh ripe pears, but sometimes I’m guilty of buying more than we can eat before they go bad.

So, I turn to our favorite pear recipes to make use of the sweet fruit while it’s at its peak.

This typically includes some delicious pear butter or pear jam, my popular pear bread recipe, pear banana cake, spiced pear muffins, warm pear cobbler, or even some banana pear bread.

This year, I decided to make an old-fashioned pear cake! It’s very similar in flavor to my pear bread that we love so much, but in bundt cake form.

Need an easy shortcut? Try my fresh pear cake made with cake mix!

overhead view of a slice of pear cake on a white plate, with the remainder of the cake in the background

Easy Fresh Pear Cake Recipe

You’ll love how easy it is to make this pear cake. You don’t need to meticulously slice and arrange the pear slices in a pretty design, like most pear-upside-down cakes.

It’s just a simple, old-fashioned bundt cake made with warm spices and the sweetness and moisture that only juicy pears can bring.

One thing I love about bundt cakes is how easy they are, yet how pretty they are.

You don’t have to do any fancy designs with frosting, you don’t have to assemble layers…it’s just a lovely cake without a lot of effort.

I like to dust the top of the cake with some powdered sugar, but you don’t have to. Really, this cake stands on its own and you don’t even need a glaze or icing.

You could serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream if you’d like!

whole pear bundt cake dusted with powdered sugar and served on a white plate

What Kind of Pears Should I Use?

Because the pears are a star in this recipe, you’ll want to be sure you have the best pears for the job, which are ripe pears (or even overripe pears)!

I almost always use Bartlett pears, which turn a golden-yellow hue when ripe. They also have a soft give when you press on them.

If you don’t have fresh pears, you can also use canned pears–just be sure to drain them well first.

For another canned pear dessert, try my cake mix pear cobbler!

diced pears on a cutting board, with a peeled pear next to it

How to Make a Delicious Spiced Pear Cake

It’s really easy to make this simple yet tasty pear cake–all you need is pears and some pantry staples.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

  • Flour
  • Baking soda
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Ground nutmeg
  • Vegetable oil
  • Sugar
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • Pears
  • Optional: Powdered sugar for dusting
a slice of fresh pear cake standing upright on a white plate with a fork next to it

How to Make It:

(Full printable recipe is available below)

Mix dry ingredients. First, you’ll whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

dry ingredients for pear bread in a mixing bowl

Mix wet ingredients. Next, you’ll combine the vegetable oil and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat it together, then add eggs and vanilla. Last, stir in the pears.

vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and pears mixed together in the bowl of a stand mixer

Finish batter Last, you’ll gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined. The batter will be pretty thick at this point.

pear cake batter in the bowl of a stand mixer

Bake. Pour the cake batter into a prepared bundt pan and bake for about an hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

collage image showing pear cake before and after baking

Let it cool for a bit in the pan before inverting it onto a serving plate. Once it’s cool, give the moist cake a dusting of powdered sugar if you’d like.

side view of pear cake dusted with powdered sugar

Notes and Adaptations:

  • Feel free to add chopped walnuts or pecans to this easy recipe if you’d like.
  • Canned pears can be substituted for the fresh pears, as long as you drain them well.
  • I also use vegetable oil and white sugar in this recipe. If you prefer butter, be sure to use softened butter that’s come to room temperature. You could also substitute in half brown sugar if you’d like.
  • You can serve this as dessert with whipped cream or ice cream (and a drizzle of caramel sauce), or as a coffee cake for breakfast along with your coffee, hot cocoa, or a cup of tea
up-close view of a slice of moist pear cake, showing the tender interior dotted with bits of fresh pear

Recommended Equipment:

Yield: 12 Servings

Old-Fashioned Pear Cake

slice of pear cake on a white plate

This old-fashioned pear cake is made with fresh pears and warm spices, making it a sweet way to use up ripe pears in a delicious dessert.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups peeled and diced fresh pears
  • Optional: Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine vegetable oil and sugar. Mix on medium speed until combined.
  4. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing to combine.
  5. Add pears, mixing on low speed until incorporated.
  6. With the mixer still on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture tot he batter, scraping down the sides as needed, and mixing just until incorporated.
  7. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Allow to cool in the pan for at least 15-20 minutes, then gently run a knife along the edges to loosen from the pan. Invert onto a serving plate.
  9. Once cool, dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Notes

  • If you don't have fresh pears, you can substitute drained canned pears.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 453Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 358mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 1gSugar: 40gProtein: 5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

Want more delicious recipe ideas?

Check out even more mealtime inspiration on my Pinterest boards!

collage image featuring two photos of pear cake. One is of the whole bundt cake with a slice cut out, the other is a slice of pear cake on a white plate

Categories:

, , , ,

Easy family-friendly recipes in your inbox!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments

  1. Gerry - Baby Kato says:

    Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe Chrysti. We will be enjoying it for years to come. The cake had the flavour and mouth feel I was hoping for, it was wonderful. I served it plain and made it exactly as written, wouldn’t change a thing. The cake had a wonderful crumb and the flavour was subtle and delicious.

    1. Chrysti Benner says:

      Thank you so much for these kind words! I love hearing that it’s a new favorite that will become a tradition! 🙂

You'll Also Love..