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This pear cake is a soft, moist cake that I bake in a skillet for a rustic touch. It’s topped with fresh sliced pears and drizzled with a creamy lemon glaze. Seriously irresistible!
Pears aren’t just for poaching and tossing into salad. If you love this dessert, also try my pineapple upside-down cake and this easy lemon yogurt cake.
Fall is pear season in the US, and I don’t know if it’s the chill in the air, but I’ve been dreaming of this cozy, rustic pear cake lately. It’s a super moist, soft, vanilla-scented cake with a denser crumb that reminds me a lot of my banana pound cake.
Of course, this dessert has juicy sliced pears, baked inside and on top of the cake to create delicious fruity pockets, and a tangy lemon glaze to balance the sweetness. And because something about baking a cake in a skillet screams “fall” to me, this cake was the perfect excuse to crack out my cast iron!
Why I Love This Pear Cake Recipe
- Sweet, but not too sweet. This easy pear cake is a bit sweet, filled with juicy fresh pears that shine through in every bite.
- It’s baked in a skillet. I’ve been a little bit obsessed with baking cakes in skillets ever since I made this fig and lemon cake. Skillet cakes are easy, the cake bakes evenly, and it adds a gorgeous rustic touch that looks great on a dessert table.
- Perfect for any occasion. A pear cake is a perfect dessert to make for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and just about any holiday.
Cake Ingredients
These are some quick ingredient notes to get things started. You’ll find the printable recipe in the recipe card with the full ingredient amounts and details.
- Pears – Just about any pears will work in this cake. Most grocery stores carry Bosc pears, green and red Anjou pears, and Bartlett pears.
- Lemon – Tossing the pear slices in lemon juice keeps them from browning and brightens the flavors. You’ll also need fresh (please, NOT bottled) lemon juice to make the glaze.
- All Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt – The usual dry ingredients combined to make a cake!
- Butter – Please have your butter at room temperature before working with it.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar works perfectly, or you can use brown sugar.
- Eggs – We’ll use 2 large eggs to help bind the ingredients and add structure to the pear cake.
- Vanilla – For the best flavor, use real vanilla extract and not imitation.
- Glaze – I make a simple lemon glaze from freshly squeezed lemon juice and powdered sugar, thinned out with a splash of milk. It’s almost identical to the glaze I use for my lemon bread recipe.
Can I Use Canned Pears?
This cake turns out the best when pears are in season, but it’s delicious year-round if you make it with canned pears. Keep in mind that canned pears are sweeter, with a softer texture. Consider tweaking the amount of sugar if you prefer a less sweet cake, and don’t slice canned pears too thin, as they’ll become mushy once they’re baked.
How to Make a Pear Cake
This is one of my easiest cake recipes and it will always be one of my favorites. It comes together in a skillet in just three quick steps:
- Prep the pears. First, slice the pears and toss the slices in a little lemon juice to prevent them from browning.
- Make the batter. Meanwhile, whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet batter until that’s combined. Finally, fold in half of the pear slices.
- Bake. Spread the cake batter into a greased 8” cast iron skillet. Press the remaining pear slices into the top of the cake, and bake at 375ºF for 30-35 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan afterward.
- Add the glaze. Whisk together milk, lemon juice, and powdered sugar in a saucepan. Warm the glaze over medium heat until it’s smooth, and then pour it over the cake before serving.
Tips and Variations
- Avoid overmixing the cake batter. Be careful not to overmix when adding the dry ingredients to the wet batter. Especially since this cake is already a bit denser than your typical vanilla cake, overmixing will yield a tough, chewy cake that won’t rise in the oven.
- Don’t slice the pears too thin. You don’t want giant chunks of pear, but I like to cut the pears about ¼” thick, for nice, distinct bites of fruit throughout the cake. This way, the pears won’t break apart or become too mushy when they’re baked into the batter.
- Check the cake for doneness. This pear cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. It’s important not to overbake the cake, as it’ll become dry and crumbly.
- Add a little spice. If you’d like to infuse this cake with a little fall spice, add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter.
What to Serve With Pear Cake
Just like a coffee cake, I love enjoying a slice of juicy pear cake with a cozy cortado for dessert, or as an afternoon treat. It’s great with a creamy London Fog (the flavors of Earl Grey tea pair perfectly with the pears, IMO) or a homemade cinnamon dolce latte, too.
This pear cake is also fresh enough to serve at breakfast or brunch. I’ll serve it as a sweet dish next to crispy bacon, an egg white frittata, and a pitcher of mimosas if we’re hosting friends or family.
How to Store
- At room temperature. Let the cake cool completely and then cover it to store at room temperature. Stored airtight, it’ll last for 3-4 days.
- Freeze. You can freeze this pear cake airtight for up to 2 months. Wrap it tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap. Thaw the cake at room temperature for serving.
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Pear Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 pears, sliced, divided
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature, plus more to butter the skillet
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Glaze
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Butter an 8-inch cast-iron skillet and set aside.
- Prepare the pears. In a small bowl, combine the sliced pears and lemon juice. Toss together and set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In your mixer's bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and continue to beat until mixed. Mix in the vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined.
- Combine. Set your mixer on the lowest setting and slowly add in the flour mixture; mix until thoroughly combined. Add half of the pear slices to the cake batter and fold them in.
- Fill the skillet. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet. Using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly and smooth it out. Add the rest of the pear slices on top and push them into the batter.
- Bake. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool while you make the glaze.
- Make the glaze. Combine milk, lemon juice, and powdered sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly just until combined and no lumps appear.
- Finish and serve. Drizzle the glaze over the cake, then cut and serve.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
What can I use in lieu of a cast iron skillet and how will the baking instructions change?
Thanks Monica
Hi!
You can use an oven-safe skillet, a baking dish, or even a pie dish will work. You don’t have to change anything else.
I LOVE fresh citrus and fresh fruit cakes so these recipes are PERFECT for my “VERY ACTIVE” COLLECTION…..THANKS VERY MUCH! ! YUM!
I hope you have a chance to try it! It’s such a gooooood cake! 🙂
Kate,
You’re going to make me buy an 8 inch skillet to go with the 5, 10, and 12 inch ones, aren’t you?? I don’t mind, I just need to know where to cast blame when my spouse returns and sees the explosion that happened in the kitchen cupboards while he’s been gone.
This looks lovely, and I’m hopeful we’ll get pears in the farm share.
Thanks!
Pears are so yummy to bake with! This cake looks delectable!
This cake is simply gorgeous!!
Holy mackerel, yum! I love how you just plopped those pear slices in there. Absolutely lovely, Kate!
It looks very elegant in spite of being baked in a cast iron skillet. The top of the cake seems smooth and shiny even where there’s no glaze.
Such a pretty cake, I love the lemon glaze!
I would totally run to the kitchen to make this, if only I had some pears! And there wasn’t banana bread in my oven 🙂