This Gateau Fondant aux Poires - French Pear Cake has a simple egg, oil and milk batter with jammy slices of pear in the center for a perfectly rustic Fall cake. The recipe this cake is adapted from noted right at the bottom "the more pears the better."
Table of Contents
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.
Ingredients and substitutions for French Pear Cake
- Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar gives our cake itโs 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 French 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 French Pear Cake
The type of oil is not mentioned in the original recipe, soย what you use here depends on the flavor you would like to add to this gateau. Extra virgin olive oil lends itself beautifully to baking, particularly the combination against the pears. If you would prefer an oil that doesn't add any flavor then go with sunflower oil or another neutral oil in equal measure.
The cake tin I used was a 20cm/8 inch springform which works well, however, 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.
Other European cakes you'll enjoy
French Pear Cake (Gateau Fondant aux Poires)
Ingredients
Pear cake
- 100 grams / ยฝ cup superfine/caster sugar
- 110 grams / 2 large eggs room temperature
- ยผ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
- 160 grams / 1 cup plain flour
- 8 grams / 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 100 grams / โ 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 line a 20 cm or 8 inch round cake tin with parchment paper.
- 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 confectionerโs 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.
- Cake tin: A round tin that is not a springform is best here due to the melty butter topping being able to drip through a springform. If you only have a springform on hand, simply bake on top of a tray to avoid the butter burning in the oven.
Nutrition
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Made it and loved it?
If you have made this recipe, it would mean so much to leave a review below to help more people find this.
JG
This cake is excellent. Not too sweet, just right. I used olive oil and regular granulated sugar.
Thank you.
Sylvie Taylor
Thanks so much for the comment JG and so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Carmen
What size is your cake tin?
Sylvie
Hi Carmen,
The cake tin used in this was a standard 20cm or 8 inches.