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This light and fluffy Pear Almond Cake is packed with fresh fruit and sliced almonds! Only 15 minutes of prep; and 50 minutes of idle time (baking). Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert! Serve it dusted with powdered sugar, whipped cream, or plain vanilla ice cream. It can be easily adjusted to be gluten-free and dairy-free!
Why you'll love pear almond cake
- Light, healthier cake. I love that it's not overloaded with unnecessary calories. There is no frosting, no cake layers. I used only 4 oz of butter (½ cup) + 1 cup of Greek yogurt (kefir works great, too!). As you can see, most of the butter here is replaced with Greek yogurt compared to other similar cake recipes. And the cake is packed with fruit (3 pears!) and fiber-rich nuts (½ cup of sliced almonds!).
- Quick and easy. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare everything and then you just bake the pear almond cake for 50 minutes (idle time you can spend doing something fun!).
- So much flavor. I used 3 sweet pears with a firm texture. I peeled them, chopped up one pear, and mixed it in with the cake batter. I added the remaining 2 pears (thinly sliced) on top of the cake in a circular pattern. Pears add the most amazing flavor to any dessert - try it for yourself, and you'll see what I mean. Just like in this chocolate pear cake.
- Flexible recipe. I tested this recipe with gluten-free flour and it works great! More on that below. You can also easily adjust it to make it dairy-free.
The ingredients
- Flour. Use regular all-purpose flour or cake flour. You can also use gluten-free flour - this cake has been tested with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour.
- Baking powder. Make sure it's fresh so that the cake rises.
- Butter. I used melted salted butter and did not add any extra salt. Melt it gently and briefly in the microwave oven.
- Sugar. Use regular granulated white sugar.
- The egg adds texture.
- Vanilla. Real vanilla extract or imitation vanilla.
- Greek yogurt adds a tang and moist texture to the cake. I have also made this cake with plain Kefir. I almost prefer using Kefir!
- Fresh pears. Choose ripe sweet pears with a firm texture. They hold up better during the baking process. I used 3 medium pears, peeled and cored. I chopped one pear and mixed it with the cake batter. I thinly sliced 2 other pears and added them on top of the cake.
- Sliced almonds. I used ½ cup of sliced almonds. Slivered ones will work, too.
How to make pear almond cake
Here are step-by-step photos and an overview of the instructions. Scroll down to the recipe card for the complete recipe (including the amounts of ingredients!).
1) Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare the baking pan. Line the bottom of the 9x3-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides and the bottom of the springform pan with butter or cooking spray.
2) Make cake batter. In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking powder. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup white sugar, melted butter, and eggs, and beat using a whisk for about 1 or 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in Greek yogurt, vanilla, and almond extract, and whisk just until combined. Add the flour mixture gradually, and whisk it together with the wet ingredients just until combined. Chop one peeled and cored pear into small chunks. Fold the chopped pear into the cake batter.
3) Pour the cake batter (with pear chunks) into the parchment paper-lined springform pan.
4) Top the cake batter with pears. Slice the remaining 2 pears (peeled and cored) into thin slices. Arrange them tightly on top of the cake in a circular pattern.
5) Top with sliced almonds.
6) Bake for about 50 minutes or 1 hour until the tester (or toothpick) inserted in the center of the cake (away from the pears) comes out clean.
Best pears for baking
Pick pears with a firm texture that will hold up well when baking. The pears should be ripe yet firm. Avoid fruit with a soft and mushy texture. You will be peeling them for this recipe, and it should be easy with firm pears. You'll find that pears with mushy texture will be almost impossible to peel. Any variety of pears will work, the sweeter, the better.
How to make it gluten-free
You can easily make pear almond cake gluten-free: this recipe has been tested with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. You can also use King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour. Do not sift these flours - but do not deliberately pack them into a measuring cup, either.
How to make it dairy-free
- Use ¼ cup of light olive oil or other vegetable oil instead of ¼ cup of butter (2 oz). Use vegetable oil of a neutral flavor, such as avocado or canola.
- Use ¾ cup of dairy-free yogurt, such as unsweetened almond milk yogurt or unsweetened cashew milk yogurt, instead of Greek yogurt. Or, use ¾ cup of olive oil or other cooking oil instead of yogurt.
Baking tips
- Baking dish. I used a 9x3-inch springform pan. You can also use a 10-inch or 12-inch cast iron skillet. I provide more options for other baking dishes in the recipe card below.
- Greek yogurt adds a tender, fluffy, moist texture to the pear almond cake. You can also use buttermilk, kefir, or sour cream instead.
- Use a scale to measure flour or aerate the flour well. Aerate the flour by fluffing it with a spoon and adding it into your measuring cup with the spoon instead of just packing the flour into the cup. This will prevent the flour from overpacking. Using too much flour as a result of overpacking will produce a denser cake texture.
- Use pure almond extract or Amaretto liqueur.
- Add lemon zest for more flavor or use it instead of almond extract.
What goes great with cake
- Confectioners' sugar. Make sure the cake is completely cooled off. Lightly dust it with confectioners' sugar using a fine mesh strainer (such as a tea strainer) right before serving as the sugar tends to get absorbed by the moist texture of the cake.
- Ice cream. Serve a warm slice of pear almond cake with a simple plain vanilla ice cream.
- Caramel sauce. Drizzle the cake lightly with caramel sauce and then top with more almonds. In that case, toast the sliced almonds in the oven until they turn golden brown to make them crunchy.
- Dulce de leche is a caramelized milk that creates a beautiful and delicious drizzle.
- Whipped cream is another way to elevate this simple cake.
Storage Tips
- Keep the cake at room temperature for the first 48 hours. Cool it completely, then loosely cover it with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving spaces for air. You can store it at room temperature this way for up to 48 hours.
- Fridge. Store pear cake refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or covered with aluminum foil.
- Can you freeze this cake? Once the cake is completely cool, freeze it within 2 days of baking. Wrap it tightly in an airtight plastic wrap or with aluminum foil. Or, slice into smaller pieces and transfer the slices to freezer bags or a sturdier freezer container.
Other similar cakes you might like
- The Best Apple Cake
- Strawberry Blueberry Cake
- Apple Blueberry Cake
- Peach and Blueberry Greek Yogurt Cake
- White Chocolate Strawberry Cake
Pear Almond Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or baking flour, sifted or aerated (see note below)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 4 oz salted butter melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract or Amaretto liqueur
- 3 medium pears firm texture, cored and peeled
- ½ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. If your oven has a convection setting, use a convection bake setting. Line the bottom of the 9x3-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides and the bottom of the springform pan with butter or cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, combine sugar, melted butter, and eggs, and beat using a whisk for about 1 or 2 minutes until the mixture becomes smooth, light in color, and fluffy.
- Mix in Greek yogurt, vanilla, and almond extract, and whisk just until combined.
- Add the flour mixture gradually, adding 1 cup at a time and whisking it together with the wet ingredients just until combined. Do not over-mix.
- You will use 3 pears. Chop one peeled and cored pear into small chunks. Fold the chopped pear into the cake batter.
- Slice the remaining 2 pears (peeled and cored) into thin slices. Don't add them to the cake yet.
- Pour the cake batter (with pear chunks) into the parchment paper-lined springform pan. Arrange pear slices (the remaining 2 pears) tightly on top of the cake in a circular pattern. Top with sliced almonds. See my photos (scroll up) for reference.
- Place the baking pan with the cake batter on the middle rack (this is especially important for non-convection ovens). Bake for about 50 minutes or 1 hour until the tester (or toothpick) inserted in the center of the cake (away from the pears) comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven. Let it cool in a springform pan on a wire rack. After cooling the cake for about 30 minutes, release the cake from the springform pan. At this point, if the cake is cool enough, you can slide your hand (or a large wide spatula) under the cake, between the parchment paper and the bottom of the pan, and transfer the cake with the parchment paper attached to its bottom onto a cake plate.
- When serving, dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
- I provide helpful step-by-step photos above the recipe card (scroll up).
Notes
-
Using measuring cups, the proper way to measure flour is to aerate it first. This is done either by sifting flour, or aerating it by fluffing it up and whisking it well, then spooning it into the measuring cup, then carefully removing any excess flour with a knife. If you just stick that measuring cup in the bag of flour and scoop some out, you will get a lot more flour than the recipe calls for. Do aerate the flour, or you will end up with dry dough!
- This aeration tip applies to these 2 kinds of popular gluten-free flours, such as Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour or King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour.
Baking tips
- If you have a convection setting in your oven, use that to bake this cake.
- If you don't have a convection setting, bake the cake on the middle rack or above the middle one.
- Ensure the oven is fully preheated to 350 F before placing the cake.
What baking pans can you use?
- I used a 9x3-inch round springform baking pan in this recipe. I like to line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper, which ensures an even cleaner release.
- 9x13 rectangular baking pan. Pour the cake batter into the greased cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean.
- Use a 12-cup muffin pan. To turn this cake into muffins or cupcakes, chop all 3 pears finely and fold them all into the cake batter. Then, fill the muffin pan ⅔ of the way and bake for about 20 or 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the muffin.
- 10-inch or 12-inch round high-sided cast-iron skillet. You can make the pear almond cake in a cast-iron skillet, which creates crispy, golden-brown edges with a soft and moist center.
Other notes
- Make it gluten-free. This recipe has been tested with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. You can also use King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour. If the cake batter is too thick, add ¼ cup of Greek yogurt.
- Greek yogurt can be replaced with plain Kefir, regular yogurt, or sour cream. I highly recommend using plain Kefir or Greek yogurt - they are light and provide a nice tang.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Please: 2 cups flour, sifted vs 2 cups sifted flour = a difference of around 1/3 cup.
It's pretty clear. Did you not read the "Notes" section about this?
2 cup of flour, sifted, is different than 2 cups of sifted flour. Based on your notes, I believe you are calling for 2 cups of sifted flour.
I am hoping to bake this cake tomorrow. The recipe looks great! If I don’t have yogurt do you think I could use buttermilk instead? If so, would I need to make any adjustments to the recipe as a result of this substitution? Thanks so much!
This recipe is fantastic! I've made it several times and it's a huge hit with my family!
This was a great hit when I took it to a neighborhood gathering. Lots of requests for the recipe.
Vanilla or almond extract? Both are listed in the ingredients!
Thank you , not only for this wonderful recipe, but for all of the recipes you share! I made this cake for our daughter; first day of her first job out of college!
It’s so good, and not overly sweet!
I am grateful for you and all of the inspiration you give me in cooking!
Julie, you’re so kind and sweet—your comment made my day so much better! 🙂
Confused about how much Greek yogurt to put in calls for .024
Hi Heidi. I see what the problem is. I just fixed it. It's 1 American cup or 236.59 ml.
There are 2 links under the ingredients list: Customary (US Measurements) and Metric. Click on one of those depending on which measuring system you're using (US-based or Metric).
Is it possible to make without egg?
Yes, you can! This is a pretty simple recipe, so I would suggest one of these 2 options instead of the egg:
1) The so-called Flaxseed Egg.
Combine 3 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed in a small bowl. Mix.
Let it sit for 5 or 10 minuts until thickened.
2) Baking soda + apple cider vinegar.
Another option is to simply add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the dry ingredients. And after you mix all wet ingredient, add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the wet ingredients, mix fast and then combine dry ingredients with wet as per recipe. That will help lift the cake and make it light and fluffy without an egg!
Julia,
Love your blog and recipes - Question: I have both sour cream and vanilla greek yogurt. Which do you think will be better to use?
Hi Karen! that's a tough choice. Either should work just fine. I personally would go with the sour cream.
Hi! This recipe looks amazing! do you have to put fruit into it or will it be tasteless??
kiki
Hi Kiki! Of course, it's best with the fruit, but you can skip it and increase the amount of sugar a little bit. Or use, blueberries or blackberries instead.
I made this and it was delicious and so easy to make. My husband wants me to try it using peaches. Do you think that will work or are they too juicy?
Hi Diane, you can use peaches here, I would skip the almonds in that case. You can try this peach and blueberry cake (it's similar):
https://juliasalbum.com/peach-and-blueberry-greek-yogurt-cake-recipe/
Hi there! I was wondering if this recipe could be used with almond flour instead of wheat flour?
Candy, I am sure you can (with some tweaks), but I haven't tried that myself. I do plan to test out (and publish) this kind of recipe with almond flour in the near future.
This is great news! I would love to make this but more keto friendly! 🙂
That's my plan - to have some keto friendly cake recipes on my site!
Hey there, is there anyway I can use almond flour or coconut flour or a combination for this recipe?
Candy, I am sure you can (with some adjustments, of course), but I personally have not tested it. Going forward, however, I plan to regularly use almond flour in my dessert recipes because I like how it tastes, and I bake with it occasionally just for myself.
I just found your site and recipe. This cake sounds delicious and is truly beautiful. I read the comments and saw where several people asked if almond flour could be substituted and you answered that you would be testing this to see what changes it might require. So this is a year later and I am wondering if you have completed your testing. Thank you so much!!
I made a fig almond cake and will use the same batter (using almond flour) for this. I think it will be lovely.
Wow, that sounds so lovely!! 🙂
Have not yet made this, so cannot leave a rating, but I plan to. This cake looks & sounds wonderful - and actually superb because of the calorie-and fat-trimming interventions. I HAVE to say that your blog is GREAT - your recipes are always crave-able, your photos are perfect, and you obviously put so much thought (and work) into the recipes - you always give so many variations and are absolutely clear in your directions. I'm so glad I've found your site. Thank you for all you do!
OMG - now I've seen the Apple Blueberry Cake....off I go!
Wow, Mich, thank you for such a thoughtful and kind comment - it means so much to me!! 🙂 I do put a lot of thought into creating these recipes. And, I do all of it myself - from cooking to taking actual photos. 🙂
About the desserts, I personally prefer the ones packed with fruit, nuts, or some other fresh ingredients, and that's what I usually make for myself and post on my site.
I hope you try both cakes!!