This spiced pear cake is one cake I can barely resist. I generally eat a piece or 2 of the baked goods I create, then can walk away. This cake is another story, I cannot seem to leave it! I served my family and myself a few pieces, then gave the rest away. I had to. It was going to all be in my belly in about .5 seconds if it wasn’t out of the house! 🙂 Our neighbors were appreciative though!
I realize this spiced pear cake is a little time consuming, but well worth a spot in your weekend baking projects!
Pears are wonderful this time of year. If they aren’t ripe when you buy the in the store, no problem. They ripen quickly on the counter top, just give them a few days. I like to leave then in about 1/2-3/4 inch pieces as I love the pear chunks in my cake. If you aren’t into this, cut them a little smaller or you can even mash.
I got this Nordicware Bundt for Christmas and I have been obsessed. There is something I just love about that swirl! I know, they are a bit spendy, but I think the shape is worth it. Don’t want to pay full price? Wait until you can find them on sale, or even go thrifting! Just make sure the inside is in good shape.
The prep work you will do for the pan before baking is so important. Make sure you butter and flour the inside really well before ever starting. Nothing is worse than inverting that bundt cake and it sticking!!
Flour info
I used a combo of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour. I do this mostly for my family’s sake. They like whole grain baked goods, but for most aren’t ready to go 100% yet. If your family is, then use all whole wheat for sure! This recipe lends itself really well to it. My advice would be use a soft winter wheat. They are lower in protein and create a more tender texture. Here is a fairly local farm I have found I just love, Farm Fresh Wheat. I love to grind mine in my Nutrimill. If you don’t have a grain mill of your own, whole wheat pastry flour is pretty simple to find. I can buy it local in the bulk section of Winco.
Combine leaveners with flours.
Nutmeg is a spice I can honestly say I would never want to live without. I just love it!
Had to get the egg crack on camera…with my self timer!
Combine the wet and dry.
Last is the pears, so they won’t get broken up too much.
It will be a thick batter, so don’t stress. Add to pan.
Once it is finished baking, place a cooling rack on top. Make sure and use oven mitts, the pan is still really hot!
Invert.
Here’s the moment of truth.
It’s is just so beautiful?? See what I mean about the swirl. It is just so cool! Plus the smell in your house from this spiced pear cake will have everyone feeling excited!
Sprinkle with a little bit of cinnamon sugar.
You can serve the cake just like it is, my choice, or with a vanilla ice cream- my boy’s choice.
I can’t wait to make this Spice Pear Cake again!
How about some other bundt cake inspo? This whole grain chocolate bundt was really good too!
Or an apple cider bundt cake? Pomelo carrot bunt?
Spiced Pear Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 10 inch bundt cake pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour You can easily make this cake 100% whole wheat. I didn't as I had a softer texture I was going for.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 t teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 4 cups pears, peeled and cubed My pieces were about 1/2-3/4 inch cubed. You can do them smaller or larger depending on your preference.
- 1 cup brown sugar Could easily be reduced to 3/4-2/3 cup.
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar You could reduce this sugar as well. I wouldn't suggest going any less than 1/4.
- 2/3 cup canola oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon Sugar for topping
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.Before you start the batter, prep your pan. Nothing is worse than flipping your cake out and having it stick!! So, take a little time up front and you won't have any problem. I like to brush the entire inside with melted butter. I have also heard of people using oil in this step. As I have not used this before, I cannot vouch for it. Next add a couple of tablespoons of flour to inside. Swirl and move the flour around pan until the buttered part is lightly coated. Tap out excess flour. You don't want too much, but enough to coat it. In a small-ish bowl, combine your pears and granulated sugar. Mix carefully to coat the pears. Set aside. Next, mix your flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a small bowl. Set aside.In another larger bowl you will combine everything in, add the oil and brown sugar. Mix. Add in eggs and vanilla. Mix again to combine well. Add in your dry ingredients. Mix only to combine. This will be fairly thick. Carefully blend in pears. I like to keep most of my chunks intact if you can. Pour into pan and place in oven. The cake will take anywhere from 45- 1hour 10 minutes to cook. I start checking at about 45 minutes. Now, the toothpick test generally works for cakes made with all purpose flour. When you start using whole wheat and whole grain flours, you need to be a little more careful as they will absorb more moisture than an all purpose. I check by touch. I know, it's hard to explain, but here is what I am looking for- I check by pressing my fingertips lightly on the top center of the cake. If it feels slightly underdone, you are good. The rest of the outer edges should spring back no problem. The center, however should feel just SLIGHTLY under baked. If you have used my recipes before, you have heard me explain about carry over cooking a hundred times. Carry over cooking is the cooking that continues to happen to every food once it is removed from the heat source. In the case of this cake, as it is fairly dense, it will continue to cook for quite some time. This is another reason to pull a little early. So, pull when it is ready. Give it 3-5 minutes in the pan, then prep to remove. I do this by placing a cooling rack on top of the pan. With oven mitts on, or hot pads to cover your hands, invert the pan onto the cooling rack. Now, the moment of truth. Remove the pan carefully. Hopefully with the prep we did before hand, it should slide out no problem!While it is still warm, sprinkle lightly with cinnamon sugar. This is purely optional, but our family loves it!Now, sit back and enjoy it! You deserve it!