Italian Pear Cake
This simple Italian Pear Cake is the perfect treat to segue from summer to fall. Adding yogurt to keep it moist and light and filled with chunks of fresh ripe pears, this not-too-sweet cake will make the ideal breakfast cake, dessert or late-night snack.
The sliced pear garnish will step up the look of it but it is completely unnecessary. This is a rustic cake that will fast become a favorite!
The ingredients are simple and are most likely already in your pantry.
Whip the sugar and eggs together until fluffy (I like to use a stand mixer but you can also combine by hand).
Stir in the yogurt, butter and vanilla. Combine.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and then sift into the wet mixture. Stir gently and then add the pears.
Pour the batter into a springform pan (you can also use a Bundt pan) and bake for 60 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack.
Before serving the cake, dust it with confectioners’ sugar. You can serve whipped cream or ice cream with the cake but I don’t believe it needs either. It is amazing on its own!
To make the sliced pear garnish, simply slice a pear into very thin slices (use a mandoline or a very sharp knife) and place on a silicone mat-lined baking sheet. Bake at 150°F until the slices are dry. This can take hours.
Happy baking!
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Italian Pear Cake
Makes: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 3 large firm ripe pears, or 4 small (Bosc or Barlett), peeled or not, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 & 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole milk (full fat) yogurt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
- freshly whipped heavy cream, if desired
Instructions
Line a 9.5-inch round baking pan (springform pan or bundt pan) with parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, whip the sugar and eggs until you obtain a creamy and fluffy texture. You can also use a stand mixer with a large bowl.
Stir in the yogurt, butter, and vanilla extract. Use a fork or spatula to combine until smooth (not the electric mixer).
In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt.
Sift the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stir gently until well combined. Add the pears and mix gently. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If the cake starts to brown too much on the top tent the top with foil during the last 10 minutes of cooking.Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Before serving dust the cake with confectioner sugar. If desired, serve with freshly whipped cream or ice cream.
For the dried pear slices that are garnishing the cake, use a mandoline to get a paper thin slice of pear. Set on a non-stick silicone baking mat on a baking sheet and put in a 150°F oven until they are dry. This can take several hours, depending on how thick the slices are. If it is humid, they will not stay crisp.
Recipe from Cucina by Elena
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