Pear Cake

This French Gateau Fondant aux Poires - French Pear Cake includes slices of pear in the center of the cake with a simple egg, oil and milk batter that is topped with a butter and sugar sauce just before being fully baked for a lightly caramelized topping on this rustic cake.

The origin of this cake is unclear, however, this gateau has a bite of pear right smack bang in the middle where you would usually find a fudgy centre; is in this case a fudgy pear centre that kind of melts in your mouth.

The topping adds a sweetness alongside the pear flavors in this traditional Gateau Fondant aux Poires - French Pear Fondant Cake.  The recipe this cake is adapted from noted right at the bottom "the more pears the better."

Ingredients and substitutions for Pear Cake

• Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar gives our cake it’s sweetness without overly flavoring the cake. You could substitute with raw sugar or half and half with brown sugar, though your cake would have slightly more caramel flavor.
• Eggs: Room temperature eggs add structure and bind everything together and are the core to creating our nice cake.
• Plain flour: The finer crumb in plain flour gives our sponge cake it's signature texture. However, you can substitute in equal measure with self-raising flour and omit the baking powder, which is most commonly recommended for this recipe.
• Baking powder: This helps the cake rise for a light crumb and avoid a stodgy result.
• Milk: Full fat milk helps add moisture to our cake, but can be substituted with skim or non dairy milk.
• Neutral Oil: Sunflower oil and olive oil have been used in tests of this cake and olive oil compliments the sweet pears best. However, you could substitute with a similar neutral oil in equal measure, if you prefer.
• Pears: French d'Anjou or Bosc Pears with a firm flesh work well here. The fruit will soften during the baking process so you don't want your fruit to be overripe. 

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Pear Cake:

Step 1: Batter base: Whisk the sugar and eggs together.

Step 2: Dries and fats: Add the dry ingredients, milk and oil and whisk until it's a smooth batter.

Step 3: Halve the batter: Pour half the batter into the base of your baking tin and lay your sliced pears on top.

Step 4: Finish: Pour the remaining batter over the top, baking until golden.

Step 5: Butter topping: Whisk the remaining egg and 3 tablespoons sugar until combined and slowly whisk in the melted butter.

Step 6: Pour over: Remove the cake from the oven and pour the butter mixture on top, until golden all over.

Step 7: Allow to cool: Remove and allow to cool.

Step 8: Serve: Sprinkle a little powdered sugar over the top, slice and serve.

Step 9: Enjoy: Dig in!

FAQ's for the best Pear Cake

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Pear Cake

Sylvie Taylor

This Gateau Fondant aux Poires - French Pear Cake recipe is an easy egg and sugar cake with soft and sweet pears in the center. The epitome of rustic French baking at its finest!

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings 8

Calories 274 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Pear cake

• 100 grams / ½ cup superfine/caster sugar
• 110 grams / 2 large eggs room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
• 160 grams / 1 cup plain flour
• 8 grams / 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 100 milliliters / ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon milk
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil sunflower, avocado or canola
• 2 large pears peeled, cored and finely sliced

Caramelized topping

• 55 grams / 1 large egg room temperature
• 38 grams / 3 tablespoons superfine/caster sugar
• 80 grams / 2.8 ounces butter melted

Instructions

 

Pear cake

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and greaseproof a cake tin.
• Place the sugar, 2 eggs and pinch of salt in a bowl and whisk until combined.
• Add the flour, baking powder, milk and oil and whisk until it is a smooth batter.
• Pour half the batter into the base of your baking tin and lay your sliced pears on top around the baking tin, layering as necessary.
• Pour the remaining batter over the top and tap gently onto your bench to bring the bubbles to the surface.
• Place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.

Caramelized topping

• Meanwhile, whisk the remaining egg and 42 grams / 3 tablespoons sugar until combined and slightly lighter in color. Carefully whisk the melted butter into the egg to combine smoothly.
• Remove the cake from the oven and pour the butter mixture on top, returning to the oven for a further 20 minutes or until golden all over.
• Remove and allow to cool before removing from the tin.
• Sprinkle a little confectioner’s sugar over the top, slice and serve.
• Enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Pears: French d'Anjou or Bosc Pears with a firm flesh work well here. The fruit will soften during the baking process so you don't want your fruit to be overripe.
• Neutral Oil: Sunflower oil and olive oil have been used in tests of this cake and olive oil compliments the sweet pears best. However, you could substitute with a similar neutral oil in equal measure, if you prefer.
• Best cake tin for the cake: Whilst the 20cm/8 inch springform used here works well, when you pour the melty butter topping over, sometimes a little of the mixture will drip out of the bottom of a springform. If you have another tin on hand, that would work best.

Adapted from marmiton.org

Nutrition

Calories: 274kcal

Keyword cake, fall dish, snack cake

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