French pear cake. Light and soft, this classic French cake is super easy to make, and every bite is infused with the aroma and flavor of fresh pears. Top with whipped cream and powdered sugar to make it taste incredibly delicious. Fresh fruits, wholemeal goodness - this cake has it all.
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Kicking off the official baking season with simple yet delicious cake made with fresh pears. Is there a better way to celebrate the most beautiful time of the year? Well, I don’t think so.
I really love the idea of baking fresh fruits right into the cake. It keeps the cake super moist, but most of all, it’s the most delicious way to include more fruits in your diet. Yummo!
Ready to bring in the holiday cheer? Keep reading for all the details of this French pear cake.
To begin with, combine all the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder and salt. With flour, you have two options - wholemeal and all-purpose (plain) flour. Either way, this cake will be super moist and delicious. I opted for wholemeal flour in this French pear cake recipe.
Fresh pears take center stage in this cake recipe. I really love the juicy pears that transform it into the best moist cake. Not to mention the aroma and flavor it imparts to the cake. You’ll need to stir the pears into the batter to create the perfect cake.
But first, let’s bring together all the other ingredients. Butter and sugar are combined together using an electric mixer until it’s pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs followed by vanilla extract. To this mixture, you’ll need to add in flour. At this stage, stir in chopped pears.
Now, the French addition to this cake recipe. A tablespoon of cognac or brandy. If you want to create a non-alcoholic version, skip alcohol and bake your cake. The batter will be slightly thick. Pour this French pear cake mix into a cake tin. Now, this mixture goes into a preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour.
Finish it off with a delightful topping of whipped cream and toasted almond flakes. And a generous dusting with powdered (icing) sugar.
So what’s your favorite topping? Whipped cream? Icing sugar?
More easy cake recipes:
- Blueberry Coconut Cake
- Easy Peach Cake
- Easy Lemon Drizzle Cake
- Zucchini Chocolate Cake
- Easy Orange Cake
- Blueberry Teacake
- Basbousa | Semolina Coconut Cake
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French Pear Cake | Video
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups wholemeal or all-purpose (plain) flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 125 g unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar caster sugar
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups chopped fresh pear approximately 2 large pears peeled and diced + 1 pear, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoon cognac or brandy optional
- Whipped cream to serve
- Toasted almond flakes to serve
- Powdered sugar icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C or 350 F. Grease and line a 22 cm cake tin with baking paper. Set aside.
- Place flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.Place butter and sugar in another bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat again until just combined.Add vanilla extract and cognac (if using). Beat to combine. Add flour mixture. Beat until just combined.
- Add remaining flour mixture. Beat again until combined.Add pears. Using a spatula, fold in gently. Pour batter into the cake tin. Arrange sliced pears on top in a single layer. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning on to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dust with powdered (icing) sugar. Top with whipped cream and toasted almond flakes.
Video
Nutrition
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