Looking for an easy and delicious pear cake recipe with all the cozy vibes? Look no further. This Spiced Pear Cake with Cardamom is just the thing. Made with ripe pears, warm spices and brown butter, this simple pear bundt cake is incredibly moist and flavorful.
And good news....it only takes about 20 minutes to get this cake ready for the oven. That's my kind of dessert! Keep reading for step-by-step instructions for making this soul-warming Spiced Pear Cake with Cardamom at home.
Why This Recipe Works
- Chopped ripe pears become tender and sweet when baked in this flavorful cake batter.
- Brown butter adds toasty caramel notes to the cake while canola oil keeps the crumb incredibly moist.
- Cinnamon, ginger and cardamom along with a splash of vanilla round out the warm spice notes creating an incredibly delicious and comforting cake.
Ingredients
- You have many of your typical cake ingredients here: flour, baking soda, salt, sour cream and eggs form the foundation of this cake.
- A combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar brings sweetness, caramel notes and moisture to the cake crumb.
- A mix of brown butter (butter that has been melted and heated until toasty brown) and canola or vegetable oil adds deep caramel notes and ensures a moist crumb in the finished cake.
- Tender, sweet pears are the star of this recipe. I like Bartlett pears here but any variety will do. For best results, make sure that your pears are ripe and ready to go prior to baking.
- Cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and vanilla add warm and cozy flavor to this homey cake.
Special Equipment
- 10 cup capacity bundt pan
- Stand mixer or hand held mixer (These tools are nice but not necessary. You can also mix by hand if you prefer)
How to Make this Recipe
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and buttering and flouring the bundt pan. This is an important step as sometimes these baking pans have deep ridges and it's easy for the cake to stick if you haven't greased and floured the pan well. You can also use a baking spray such as Pam for Baking.
- Make the brown butter: Place the butter in a medium skillet and heat over medium low, swirling the pan frequently. Once the butter has melted, continue to cook, swirling frequently, until the butter has a nutty aroma and is golden brown in color. Immediately transfer the brown butter to a bowl to cool briefly.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the oil, brown butter, sugar and brown sugar together in the work bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, making sure one is thoroughly combined before adding the next. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter just comes together. Fold in the chopped pears with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan and smooth out the top. Bake until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Run a small knife around the edges where the cake and pan meet to make sure you don't have any spots where the cake is stuck. Once you are sure that the cake is free from the pan, invert it onto a serving plate.
- Once the cake is pleasantly warm or room temperature, sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired and serve!
Expert Tips
- While you could simply use melted butter rather than brown butter in this recipe, I would encourage you not to skip this step! Brown butter adds so much delicious flavor to this cake.
- Don't over mix the cake batter once you've added the dry ingredients. This can cause your cake to be tough in texture rather than tender and soft.
- Use ripe pears (preferably the Bartlett variety) if possible.
FAQs
Yes! This cake will keep well at room temperature for about 2 days. See the freezing instructions below for longer storage.
Absolutely. Simply wrap the completely cooled cake in plastic wrap and then in layer of foil before storing in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, slice the cake first and wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap. Transfer the wrapped slices to a freezer bag or other freezer safe sealed container. Simply set the whole cake or individual slices out at room temperature to thaw before serving.
Chances are that you already own a bundt pan. Millions of Americans do. But have you ever wondered how this unusually shaped pan with a hole in the center came to be? It was originally designed by the Nordic Ware company of Minneapolis in 1950 at the specific request of a group of Jewish women who were looking to recreate traditional Eastern European cakes that had a hole in the center. But the popularity of the bundt pan didn't really take off until 1966 when the Tunnel of Fudge bundt cake won second place in the annual Pillsbury Bake-Off. Demand for these unique pans suddenly skyrocketed as women all across America wanted to bake their own versions of this gooey chocolate cake.
Today, there are as many bundt cake variations as there are bakers, and the Nordic Ware company continues to manufacture the beautifully-shaped pans that bake them. If you haven't visited their website, please do. You'll be amazed by the stunning array of baking pan options they hav
How To Serve Pear Spice Cake
This cake is delicious on it's own and really doesn't need any embellishment, especially if you are enjoying it as a simple afternoon fika treat with a cup of coffee. That said, a sprinkle of powdered sugar looks lovely on top! If you'd like to dress it up a little more consider the following:
- A drizzle of homemade (or store bought) caramel sauce.
- A scoop of vanilla or cardamom ice cream.
- A dollop of whipped cream or this delicious whipped vanilla skyr cream.
- A drizzle of vanilla dessert sauce.
- A glaze prior to serving! Cream cheese would be nice as would a brown butter glaze like this one.
Related Recipes
Looking for more delicious pear recipes? Give these a try:
Spiced Pear Cake with Cardamom
Equipment
- 10 cup capacity bundt cake pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅓ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups peeled and chopped ripe pears about 4 medium pears
- Powdered sugar for dusting optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-cup capacity bundt pan. Set aside.
- Place the butter in a medium skillet (preferably not nonstick or cast iron so that you can more easily see the color change) and heat over medium, swirling the pan frequently. Once the butter has melted, continue to cook, swirly frequently, until the butter has a nutty aroma and is golden brown in color. Immediately transfer to a bowl to cool briefly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger Set aside.
- Combine brown butter, oil, sugar and brown sugar in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time fully incorporating one before adding the next. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated and smooth. Add flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Fold in the pears with a rubber spatula.
- Transfer the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen it from the cake and Invert onto a serving plate. Allow to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve!
Notes
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- While you could simply use melted butter rather than brown butter in this recipe, I would encourage you not to skip this step! Brown butter adds so much delicious flavor to this cake.
-
- Don't over mix the cake batter once you've added the dry ingredients. This can cause your cake to be tough in texture rather than tender and soft.
-
- Use ripe pears (preferably the Bartlett variety) if possible.
Nutrition
If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of your Spiced Pear Cake with Cardamom and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #truenorthkitchen and tagging me @true_north_kitchen.
Rachael
This Bundt cake was such a pleasure to make! It filled my home with the most beautiful aroma and it was delicious. My guests were delighted and so was I!
Kristi
Hi Rachael,
I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake! It's one of my favorite fall treats. Thanks for taking the time to leave me a note! It is very much appreciated.
Kristi
Jami Breese
Wonderful cake! I made it for some friends who are visiting today and it is absolutely delicious. The roasted pear compote is amazing as well.
Kristi
Hi Jami!
Thanks for your comment! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. It's one of my favorites!
Kristi