Pear chunks nestled in a light and airy crumb, flavored with almond extract.
by Audrey
Jump to Recipe
This Classic French Pear Cake features tender pear chunks nestled in a light and airy crumb, flavored with almond extract. Right before baking, the cake gets dusted with sugar to create a signature crackly top. It’s super-easy to make and is just sweet enough, with a delightful more-pear-than-crumb-ratio. If you love pears, this recipe will become a staple in your repertoire.
A key step: Ribboning the eggs and sugar
For the batter, you must start by ribboning together the eggs and sugar. This is a key step in making this recipe, so I wanted to emphasize a bit on this technique here.
“Ribboning” is achieved by beating the eggs and sugar together (by hand or with a hand mixer) for a long period (usually 5 to 10 minutes) until the sugar crystals dissolve and the mixture becomes pale, thick and forms a ribbon when falling from the whisk. The mixture should be smooth and hold its shape, but not dry. You can watch this video for more instructions. This process is important as it incorporates air into the mixture, which is essential to achieve the tender, airy cake crumb that makes this pear cake so unique.
Cooking notes:
- Choose firm baking pears, such as Bartlett, Bosc, or Anjou. They won’t release too much moisture when baking and will hold their shape.
- I like to peel the pears, but you can certainly leave them unpeeled if you wish.
- When adding the pear chunks to the batter, it will look like there is too much pear – this is normal. Use a spatula to fold the pears into the batter and to spread out the thick batter in the prepared cake pan.
- The cake is rather delicate in texture, so I recommend using a well-greasedspringform panso it is easier to remove it from the pan (flipping it onto a plate may break it).
I hope you’ll love thisClassic French Pear Cake recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment.
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Classic French Pear Cake
Print Recipe
Prep Time: Cooking Time:
Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat
Rating: 4.1/5
( 16 voted )
Ingredients
½ cup (125g) unsalted butter
2 large firm pears (or 3 small)
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 large eggs
¾ cup (150g) sugar + 2 tbsp for sprinkling
1 tsp Almond extract
3 tbsp (45ml) 2% Milk
Instructions
Make sure you read the cooking notes before you start.
Preheat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC) with a rack in the middle. Line an 8-inch or 9-inch (20-22.8cm) springform pan with parchment paper at the bottom and grease the sides with butter.
Step 1 -Melt the butter in a saucepan and set aside to cool.
Step 2 -Peel and core the pears, then dice them into 1/2-inch (1.25cm) pieces.
Step 3 -In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
Step 4 - In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together until pale and a ribbon forms from the whisk (5-10minutes). Whisk in the almond extract and milk. Whisk in half of the melted butter and gently stir. Add in half of the flour mixture, gently stir. Stir in the remaining butter, then the rest of the flour mixture.
Step 5 -Fold in the pears until they are evenly coated with the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top a little bit, with a spatula. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over top of the batter.
Step 6 - Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes and remove it carefully from the pan. Enjoy warm or cool, on its own or served with crème fraiche
Did You Make This Recipe?
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43 comments
Audrey March 9, 2021 - 12:00 pm
Thank you Jenny!
Reply
Kathy March 10, 2021 - 4:04 pm
Could I make this with apples, I don’t like pears.
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Audrey March 10, 2021 - 7:17 pm
Hi Kathy. If you prefer apples, I recommend you make this Classic French Apple Cake recipe: https://www.pardonyourfrench.com/classic-french-apple-cake/
It is the same recipe, but made with almond and rum for flavoring. Happy baking!
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KNicole June 29, 2021 - 1:12 pm
Yes make that apple cake! It is amazing. The rum just adds so much to the cake. We love it.
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Audrey June 29, 2021 - 5:36 pm
Amazing, thanks!
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JoJo August 15, 2022 - 3:09 am
does the rum bake off or does it have a liquor taste?
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Audrey August 15, 2022 - 7:45 am
Did you accidentally reply to the wrong recipe? This French Pear Cake only has almond extract, no rum. But generally speaking, any cake on the site which does include rum (never has much in the recipe) will have a slightly rummy taste. Hope this helps!
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JoJo August 5, 2023 - 3:44 am
Sorry – I thought I put that message on your French Apple cake recipe. But thank you for answering – was really curious. Thank you.
Shelby Clark March 27, 2021 - 1:20 pm
Tomorrow’s Sunday brunch dessert. Can’t wait! Is it possible to over mix the egg and sugar mixture?
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Audrey March 28, 2021 - 11:18 am
Hi Shelby! That is a very good question – yes, it is possible to over-mix the eggs and sugar. Whipping the mixture too long will make it too fluffy, resulting in more of a foam consistency. So make sure to stop mixing when a ribbon forms. Happy brunch!
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Cynthia March 28, 2021 - 9:14 pm
Will Asian pears work for this recipe?
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Audrey March 30, 2021 - 10:30 pm
Hi Cynthia. Unfortunately, I do not recommend Asian pears for this recipe. Although they have a firm flesh, Asian pears are extremely juicy and will give off a lot of liquid when cooking (more than Anjou or Bosc pears), so you may end up with a mushy cake. I hope this helps!
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Tia April 5, 2021 - 2:00 am
Made this for Easter dessert. Absolutely delicious!! Thank you for the recipe!
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Audrey April 5, 2021 - 1:00 pm
Great, thank you!
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Joy Richards May 21, 2021 - 9:15 pm
I made this and loved it! I like to substitute olive oil for butter, so used 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup of oil. I also added two tablespoons of French Pear Cognac which give it a wonderful aroma and flavour. I will definitely make this again. Et j’adore the crisp sugary top!
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Audrey May 22, 2021 - 11:45 am
Wonderful, thank you for your feedback!
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Tatiana July 16, 2021 - 6:11 pm
I made pear cake, absolutely delicious!!!
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Audrey July 17, 2021 - 11:26 am
Thank you!
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Linda January 9, 2022 - 3:51 pm
It is in the oven now and it smells divine. I added 1.5 T pear liqueur and reduced the milk to 2 T. I considered putting a sprinkle of sliced almonds on top before the sugar, but didn’t know if the almonds could take the sugar and the time. Tonight is for company, but I’ll definitely make again for just us. Any thoughts?
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Audrey January 10, 2022 - 5:55 pm
Hi Linda, sliced almonds would be lovely sprinkled on top of the cake!
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Mary Harrigan May 1, 2022 - 6:56 pm
I made this cake today and discovered that the only problem is that I want to eat the entire cake in one sitting. Like so many of your recipes that I’ve made this is delicious and a definite repeat!
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Audrey May 6, 2022 - 4:14 pm
Thank you!
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Cristina August 27, 2022 - 12:36 pm
This is our cake for the weekend. At first I was a bit confused about the quantity of butter vs floor but the result is great. Thank you!
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Audrey August 27, 2022 - 2:38 pm
It’s not just a rumor, the French do LOVE butter! Glad you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for reviewing.
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Nikki October 5, 2022 - 3:42 pm
I took this as dessert to a dinner last night. It was absolutely stunning! Everyone enjoyed it. And it’s so easy! This will definitely be a ‘go to’ recipe for me. Thank you, Audrey.
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Audrey October 5, 2022 - 5:03 pm
So glad everyone enjoyed it! And as they say, sometimes simple is best… it’s such a nice recipe to quickly put together for events like this.
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Nancy October 17, 2022 - 3:19 pm
Good morning Audrey, I do appreciate you sharing your lovely recipes. I am planning to bake the pear cake. Is it possible to use whole in place of 2% milk? We only buy whole milk.
I bake your plum cake as Christmas gifts to my neighbors. They all throughly look forward to Christmas each year! Thank you again, Nancy
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Audrey October 17, 2022 - 6:08 pm
I don’t think there will be much of a problem at all substituting whole milk for the 2% milk. I assume the difference would be mostly negligable.
So nice to hear about the plum cake as well. Thank you so much for the kind compliment. I hope you (and perhaps even your neighbors) enjoy the pear cake just as much!
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Matt November 7, 2022 - 12:51 am
Feather-light and subtly flavored, this cake is the perfect way to highlight seasonal fruit. We loved it 🙂
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Audrey November 7, 2022 - 11:59 am
Thanks so much, Matt. This cake really does let the pears do the talking, I love it as well!
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Michele November 29, 2022 - 10:35 pm
To be clear: I do not bake. I cook. Despite that, I thought I would attempt this cake. The clear directions and photos every step of the way made it so easy. I added brandy and sprinkled sliced almonds on top. It looked like I bought it, it was so perfect. It turned out absolutely delicious- it melted in my mouth. I gave some to my hubby and even he was shocked! Thank you for such a simple but impressive recipe and I love your explanation of ribboning. Just a fantastic recipe. Thank you!
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Audrey November 30, 2022 - 9:44 am
Amazing, Michelle. Thank you so much for the kind words. I do try my best to make recipes as simple and clear for every level of home cook/baker, as I can. So it’s always wonderful to hear when it’s working. So glad you both enjoyed the cake!
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Kathryn Rizzoni February 28, 2023 - 4:46 pm
I’ve never commented on a recipe before, but this one is worthy! This is the best cake I’ve ever made. Just wonderful. After reading others’ comments, I did put sliced almonds on top, which added a nice crunch. Making it again this weekend to bring to a dinner party! Thank you.
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Audrey March 1, 2023 - 11:54 am
Kathryn, this made my day! I am so happy to hear this cake went over this well with you. It truly is a wonderful cake, and the addition of sliced almonds on top.. I mean, sounds perfect! Thank you again for the kind words.
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Jani Stone March 25, 2023 - 1:57 pm
I have made this cake twice. It is a fabulous recipe!
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Audrey March 25, 2023 - 3:59 pm
Much appreciated, Jani! Thank you for letting me know.
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Kelly April 7, 2023 - 1:26 am
Simply delicious!
I have made this recipe twice now. Once in the springform tin, and once as muffins.
There is not a crumb left by the second day!
Simple and stunning.
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Audrey April 7, 2023 - 10:21 am
Thank you so much, Kelly! Out of curiosity, what was the cooking time on the muffins?
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Julia Capone May 4, 2023 - 6:21 pm
I brought this to a dinner party last week and my friends all loved it! By chance have you experimented with making the recipe larger? I think I have enough room in my 9″ springform pan to at least increase by 1/2 if not double. Everyone is asking me to make the cake bigger next time!
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Audrey May 5, 2023 - 9:41 am
Thank you so much, Julia! Glad everyone enjoyed this wonderful cake. To answer your question, I haven’t honestly made the cake in any other size, but scaling it up 50% should be fairly simple, and I think should work just fine. If you’re going to attempt it, I would start with a 50% increase first before doubling. If you do give it a go at a larger size, I’d love to know how it turned out.
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Susan February 24, 2024 - 9:16 pm
Has anyone tried with splenda or other sugar substitute? Ty susan
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Audrey February 25, 2024 - 7:52 am
I haven’t Susan, but hoping someone will be able to assist you 🙂
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Audrey
Bonjour ! I'm Audrey Le Goff, a French cookery writer, photographer, creator of the blog Pardon your French, and cookbook author of Rustic French Cooking Made Easy.
