Description
This Italian Pear Cake is a moist and tender dessert featuring ripe pears folded into a flavorful batter made with yogurt, butter, and eggs. Perfectly spiced and topped with a dusting of confectioner sugar, it offers a delicate balance of sweetness and fruitiness. Ideal for a cozy gathering or a special afternoon treat, this cake pairs beautifully with freshly whipped cream or ice cream.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruits
- 3 large firm ripe pears or 4 small (Bosc or Barlett), peeled and cut into pieces
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 g)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder (14 g)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar (200 g)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk yogurt
- ½ cup butter (113 g), melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (2 g)
For Serving
- Confectioner sugar for dusting
- Freshly whipped heavy cream if desired
Instructions
- Prepare the pan: Line a 9.5-inch round baking pan (springform or bundt pan) with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray to prevent the cake from sticking.
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) to preheat while you prepare the batter.
- Mix sugar and eggs: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to whip the granulated sugar and eggs together until the mixture is creamy and fluffy. A stand mixer with a large bowl works well for this step.
- Add wet ingredients: Stir in the yogurt, melted and cooled butter, and vanilla extract using a fork or spatula to combine gently until smooth. Avoid using the electric mixer for this step to keep the batter light.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- Sift and fold: Sift the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stir gently just until well combined to avoid overmixing.
- Add pears: Fold in the peeled and chopped pears carefully so they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place it in the oven. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the cake begins to brown excessively on top during the last 10 minutes, tent it with foil to prevent burning.
- Cool the cake: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack before removing it from the pan.
- Serve: Dust the cooled cake with confectioner sugar. For an extra indulgence, serve each slice with freshly whipped cream or your choice of ice cream.
Notes
- Use firm ripe pears like Bosc or Bartlett for the best texture; ripe but not overly soft.
- Let the melted butter cool before adding to avoid curdling the eggs or yogurt.
- Folding the pears in gently prevents breaking them down and keeps the cake texture tender.
- Tenting with foil during baking helps prevent the cake top from over-browning.
- This cake is best served the day it’s baked but can be stored covered at room temperature for 2 days.
- For added flavor, consider sprinkling cinnamon or nutmeg into the dry ingredients.
- Substituting Greek yogurt for whole milk yogurt will make it denser but extra moist.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of cake)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
