Home / Recipes / Popular / Cakes & Cupcakes / Easy Italian Pear Cake

Easy Italian Pear Cake

This Easy Pear Cake recipe, is a simple Italian cake that is perfect served as an afternoon snack cake, morning breakfast cake or even as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Made with creamy mascarpone and fresh pears it is lovely any time of the day!

Pear cake on a glass cake stand.


 

I discovered when I came to Italy that Italian cakes, homemade-every-day-cakes were very rarely, if ever, frosted. But most of the times they were dusted with icing sugar or unsweetened cocoa.

This cake and a my simple Yogurt cake are perfect for anyone who loves a less sweet cake. A dusting of powdered sugar is all it needs!

If you wish you could also add some finely chopped walnuts or pecans to the cake batter.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Flour – all purpose flour
  • Cornstarch
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Sugar – granulated sugar
  • Eggs – room temperature
  • Mascarpone – room temperature
  • Vegetable oil – I use sunflower or corn oil
  • Salt
  • Pears- sliced and cut into cubes

Why use room temperature ingredients?

With cakes and other baking, it’s always better to use room temperature ingredients. So, take any cold ingredients out of the refrigerator an hour ahead of time or sooner if it’s cool in your kitchen. Room temperature ingredients blend easier, creating a silky batter, which will help to create a light tender baked good.

Can you substitute vegetable oil with butter?

Yes you can substitute with melted cooled butter. It is probably best to use unsalted butter in this recipe.

  A slice of cake on a plate.

What are the best pears for baking

The best pears for baking are the Anjou pears which are firm and mild tasting, Bartlett pears (Williams) a nice juicy pear or the Bosc which is crisp and sweet. Make sure to use pears that are firm but ripe.

In Italy I always use a Williams Pear which is very easily found here, and I find it perfect whenever I make a cake, although I do usually purchase them when they are ripe but on the firmer side.

How to make an Italian Pear Cake

Clean and peel the pears, one pear chop into medium-sized cubes and the other pear thin slices, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, corn starch, baking powder and baking soda.

Dry ingredients whisked in a glass bowl.

In a medium bowl, at medium speed beat eggs and sugar until creamy, add mascarpone and continue beating until smooth.

Batter mixed in a glass bowl.

Stir in with a wooden spoon the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, stir gently to combine, then add the oil and stir to combine.

Flour added to the wet ingredients.

Fold in the medium-sized cubed pear, spoon into prepared cake pan.

Pear added to the batter.

Top with sliced pears and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

Pear on batter in the cake pan.

Bake approximately 45 – 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Let cool completely before serving!

Pear cake baked in the cake pan.

Substitutions for Mascarpone

You could use creme fraiche or cream cheese, although the taste won’t be exactly the same because they both have a bit of an acidic taste. Some readers have substituted with ricotta cheese, although it might be a good idea to drain it in sieve for 15-20 minutes before using.

Is it necessary to peal pears for baking?

You don’t have to peal the pears if you prefer not too. Leaving the peal on will give you more fiber which plays a key role in your digestive health.

Cake on a glass cake stand.

How to store the Pear Cake

The completely cooled cake should be wrapped well or stored in an airtight container, store the cake in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 4-5 days in the fridge.

How to freeze it

To freeze the cake, wrap the completely cooled cake in plastic wrap then place in a freezer safe bag, it will keep for up to 1-2 months in the freezer. 

Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter for a couple of hours.

This Pear cake is one of those cakes that makes the perfect breakfast cake, snack or even dessert cake. And don’t we all love a delicious cake for breakfast?! Besides who can refuse the tasty combination of mascarpone and pears? Enjoy!

Cake with a slice on a spatula.

More delicious Italian Cakes

Cake on a glass cake stand.

Easy Italian Pear Cake

Rosemary Molloy
The perfect Breakfast, Snack or Dessert Cake.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 servings
Calories 387 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (43 grams in total)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup mascarpone (room temperature)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use corn or sunflower oil)
  • 2 medium pears (room temperature)* (ripe but firm)

Room temperature – remove from fridge 30-45 minutes before using.

    *The best pears for baking are Anjou, Bosch and Bartlett. Make sure they are ripe but firm and free of bruises.

      Instructions
       

      • Pre-heat oven to 340° (170° celsius). Lightly grease and flour an 8 or 9" (20-23 cm) cake pan ( I used a spring-form pan).
      • Clean and peel the pears, one pear chop into medium-sized cubes and the other pear slice into thin slices, set aside.
      • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, corn starch, baking powder and baking soda.
      • In a medium bowl, at medium speed beat eggs and sugar until creamy approximately 2 minutes, add the mascarpone and continue beating until smooth.
      • Stir in with a wooden spoon the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, stir gently to combine, then add the oil and stir to combine.
      • Fold in the medium-sized cubed pear, spoon into prepared cake pan.
      • Top with sliced pears and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons (40 grams) granulated sugar.
      • Bake approximately 45 – 60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Let cool completely then serve. Enjoy!

      Notes

      The best pears for baking are the Anjou pears which are firm and mild tasting, Bartlett pears (Williams) a nice juicy pear or the Bosc which is crisp and sweet. Make sure to use pears that are firm but ripe.
      The best pears for baking are the Anjou pears which are firm and mild tasting, Bartlett pears (Williams) a nice juicy pear or the Bosc which is crisp and sweet. Make sure to use pears that are firm but ripe.
      The completely cooled cake should be wrapped well or stored in an airtight container, store the cake in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 4-5 days in the fridge.
      To freeze the cake, wrap the completely cooled cake in plastic wrap then place in a freezer safe bag, it will keep for up to 1-2 months in the freezer. Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter for a couple of hours.
       

      Nutrition

      Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 250mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 495IU | Vitamin C: 1.9mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 1.6mg
      Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!

      .

      **Today (November 20,2016) I am adding an update to this recipe. I have remade this cake today and I am posting a video because I am convinced even more after making it again that it is one of the best cakes on this food blog. I am sorry if anyone is having a problem with it not baking but I urge you to double check to make sure that you are baking it at the proper temperature, whether Fahrenheit or Celsius. Thanks and Happy Sunday.

      Updated from February 22, 2015.

      259 Comments

      1. 5 stars
        I have made this before with pears but am wondering if other fruits such as apricots or peaches would work? Has anybody tried it with something other than pears?

        1. Hi Andrea, I think other readers have tried it with peaches and apples, make sure the fruit isn’t too ripe, it should be firm but ripe. Let me know if you try it.

        1. Hi Alison for conventional it is recommended to reduce temperature by 25F so the temp should be 315F. Hope that helps. Let me know how it goes.

      2. 5 stars
        This is a terrific cake! I use a variety of seasonal fruits including rhubarb which I modify the sugar added. This is my go to recipe for special occasions.
        Thank you Rosemary!!!

      3. 5 stars
        Delicious, moist, and enjoyed by all. I didn’t have fresh pears, so I used canned Bartlett pears. I didn’t have mascarpone, so I subbed with sour cream and cream cheese.
        Also subbed applesauce for the oil. The batter looked looser than yours, but it turned out just fine. It took just over an hour at 340. Will definitely make again. Thanks for the recipe.

      4. Rosemary,

        May I leave out the baking soda and cornstarch. I have a very sensitive system, and baking soda is very hard on it.

        1. Hi Joy, I think if you left it out then the cake will be quite heavy, or you could replace the corn starch with potato starch, use 2 teaspoons of baking powder and leave out the baking soda, I have not baked it this way so I really don’t know for sure how it would be. If you try it let me know.

      5. 5 stars
        this is truly easy and makes a lovely cake! my pears were ripe, but still pretty firm, but everything turned out wonderfully. also i substituted a half cup sour cream and a half cup cream cheese for the mascarpone since i didn’t have any. the next morning, i made a sort of glaze out of butter, sugar, spiced pear liqueur, and a little water, and poured it on what we didn’t eat the night before. if you like a sweeter cake, that does the trick 🙂 q

      6. 5 stars
        Delicious, moist cake. Substituted mascarpone with ricotta and used tinned pears. Not too sweet. Will make again. Thank you

      7. 5 stars
        What a delicious cake!! I used 3 1/2 Royal Riviera Pears (2 in batter and 1 on top) and added 3 drops lemon essential oil to the egg mixture and it added just a hint of lemon scent. It baked up beautifully! Took it out at 50 minutes. My husband loved it!! Thank you!!

      Leave a Reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.