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An Italian pear cake with one slice cut out of it on a serving platter.
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Pear Cake

While this easy Italian pear cake requires just 20 minutes of hands-on time, plan on making it at least 2 hours before serving to allow it to cool. I like to arrange the pear wedges in a circle on top of the batter, but you don’t have to be so precise.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Cooling Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 10
Author: Mark Beahm

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (240g) all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1 orange, zested
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
  • 1/2 cup (113g) whole milk Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large pears (about 1 pound), peeled, cored, and sliced into thin wedges
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

  • Get ready. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan to prevent sticking.
  • Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Beat the eggs. In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and citrus zest on medium-high speed until pale and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the olive oil. While continuing to beat the eggs on medium-high speed, pour in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream.
  • Add the Greek yogurt and vanilla. Switch to a rubber spatula to gently mix until incorporated.
  • Fold in the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture and carefully fold with the rubber spatula until combined and no dry lumps of flour remain, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
  • Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Arrange the pear wedges on the top of the cake. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
  • Serve. Run a butter knife around the edges of the cake. Release the spring and remove the outer ring. Transfer the cake to a serving place and dust it with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.

Notes

  • Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil used in this recipe.
  • For a gluten free version: Substitute with an equal amount of one-to-one gluten-free flour.
  • For an Almond Pear Cake: Substitute 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup almond flour. Swap the vanilla extract for 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and sprinkle 1/4 cup flaked almonds over the top of the cake before baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 307.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.1g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12.1g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.3g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 33.2mg | Sodium: 218.7mg | Potassium: 110.5mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 24.2g | Vitamin A: 59.7IU | Vitamin C: 7.3mg | Calcium: 73.2mg | Iron: 1.6mg

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