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–+ servings
Pear Cake Recipe

Pear Cake Recipe

This oaty, buttery pear cake is perfect for all occasions.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Equipment

  • 8 x 8 inch baking pan
  • parchment paper

Ingredients
  

For the streusel

  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes

For the cake

  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar packed
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 fresh pears (bosc, bartlett, or anjou) cored and peeled, cut into quarter inch dice

To decorate

  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions
 

For the streusel

  • In a small bowl, mix flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt.
  • Use your fingers to mash the butter into the flour mixture until crumbs form. Chill until you are ready to use.

For the cake:

  • Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and line an 8 x 8 inch square pan with parchment paper. Don't skip this step if you actually want to be able to remove your cake from the pan in one piece. Remember, you're not flipping this cake over at the end, so it has to come out of the pan easily.
  • Put butter in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until golden brown. Watch carefully so that it doesn't burn! This should take roughly 5-8 minutes. Cool slightly.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Pour the browned butter into the egg mixture, whisking constantly until well blended.
  • Toss the pears in with the dry ingredients to coat. Stir the pears and dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined.
  • Use a rubber spatula to scrape the cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
  • Sprinkle the reserved streusel over the top of the cake batter.
  • Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven or until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean.
  • Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove from the pan and cut into squares.
  • Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Notes

Some notes about pears: We like to make this cake with slightly overripe pears. The softer pear texture blend nicely into the cake. This makes it a great way to use up any bruised pears you might have lolling about in your refrigerator.
Cake storage: With its delicate crumb, we'd be lying if we said this cake kept well. So, just enjoy it on the day you make it!
Keyword butter, oat, pear
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!