• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • All Recipes
    • Cakes and Desserts
    • Main Courses
    • Light Meals
    • Sides, Salads and Snacks
    • Drinks
  • Tips and Techniques
  • About
    • About Me
    • What is an Everyday Cook?
    • Privacy Policy
  • Sign up for the newsletter!
  • Everyday Cooks

Everyday Cooks

menu icon
go to homepage
  • All Recipes
    • Meals
    • Cakes and Desserts
    • Basics
    • Drinks
  • About
    • Everyday Cooks
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • All Recipes
      • Meals
      • Cakes and Desserts
      • Basics
      • Drinks
    • About
      • Everyday Cooks
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Cakes and Desserts

    We use cookies · See Privacy Policy in footer · Post contains affiliate links

    Pear and Almond Cake

    Pear and Almond Cake is an autumn treat - moist almond cake with caramelised pears and crunchy almond topping. Serve for pudding or afternoon tea.Pear and Almond Cake with toasted almond topping

    Jump to Recipe

    Pear and Almond Cake

    This is a very easy cake to make - just blitz all the cake ingredients and top with the pears which you have fried in butter and sugar (i.e. caramelised).

    What sort of pears are best for cooking?

    Unlike apples, where the best cookers aren't great for eating, pears are more multi-purpose, so to a certain extent, use your favourite. I usually use Conference pears in a Pear and Almond Cake because they're my favourite (and they're easily available) and because the texture is good, but I know other people swear by Comice pears. I do think this recipe works best in the autumn using English pears.

    The key to cooking with pears is that they should be firm, but not hard. That way they won't disintegrate when cooked, but they are ripe enough to have a good flavour.

    Why use orange extract in a Pear and Almond Cake?

    First, let me say that using orange extract is optional. You don't need it, but if you've bought some for another recipe, this is somewhere else to use it. If you really want the orange flavour and don't have any extract, the grated rind of an orange would also do the trick.

    Why toast the almonds?

    Pear and Almond Cake in the tin

    When the cake comes out of the oven it's pretty ordinary looking and untoasted almonds are fairly bland looking.

    Toasting the almonds gives them a variety of colour, from cream to golden brown and gives your cake some texture in the appearance, and added crunch when you eat it.

    Dusting with icing sugar adds the finishing touch to make the whole cake look attractive and appetising.

    Helpful Tools

    • Baking parchment circles – Such a simple idea. Gone are the days where you had to draw round the base of the cake tin and cut out your own parchment circles. These mean that your cakes never stick to the base of the tin and, of course, that also means a saving on the washing up – never my favourite chore.

    If you like this…

    …Why don’t you try:

    Apple Sponge Cake with a slice removed, on a white plate

    Apple Sponge Cake

    Apple Sponge Cake can be served warm for dessert or cold at teatime. The cake has a crispy top with an apple and sultana filling.
    Pineapple Upside-Down Cake on a white plate

    Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

    Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is great served hot or cold, for pudding or teatime.
    A dish of Blackberry and Apple Crumble

    Blackberry and Apple Crumble

    Blackberry and Apple Crumble is an old favourite for a good reason - fruity filling, crunchy topping, quick and easy to make.

    Recipe

    Pear and Almond Cake with toasted almond topping
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Pear and Almond Cake

    Pear and Almond Cake is an autumn treat - moist almond cake with a caramelised pear topping. Serve for pudding or afternoon tea.
    Prep Time25 minutes mins
    Cook Time45 minutes mins
    Standing time15 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British
    Servings: 10
    Author: Susie@Everyday Cooks

    Ingredients

    For the topping:

    • 3 pears, large and firm
    • 25 g butter
    • 1 tablespoon caster sugar (15ml)
    • 25 g flaked almonds
    • Icing sugar

    For the cake:

    • 175 g butter
    • 125 g caster sugar
    • 100 g self-raising flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder (5ml)
    • 75 g ground almonds
    • 2 large eggs
    • ¼ teaspoon orange extract (optional) (1.25ml)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    23cm/9-inch round shallow loose-bottomed cake tin
    Baking parchment circle

    Instructions

    Preparation:

    • Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 170°C fan/ gas mark 5/ 375°F
    • Grease and line a 23cm (9-inch) cake tin

    For the pear topping:

    • Peel, quarter, and core the pears
    • Melt 25g of butter with 1 tablespoon of caster sugar in a frying pan on a MEDIUM heat. Gently shake the pan to create a golden caramel
      The butter may separate and the caramel may start clumping but this will disappear as you cook the pears
    • Add the pear quarters and cook gently for 5-10 minutes until they begin to brown and soften
      The time taken depends on how ripe the pears are
    • Take the pan off the heat and leave until needed.

    For the cake:

    • Put all ingredients in a large mixing bowl or food processor and beat or process until combined
      (Butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, ground almonds, eggs, orange extract (if using))
    • Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin. Arrange the pears on the top and spoon over a small amount of the surplus caramel
    • Bake for 40-45 minutes
    • Cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out
    • Meanwhile, gently toast the flaked almonds:
      Under the grill OR
      In a heavy-bottomed frying pan on a HIGH heat turning constantly to prevent burning
    • Turn the cake out, sprinkle with the almonds, dust with sieved icing sugar, and serve.

    Notes

    Everyday Cooks Tips:

    Storage:
    • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week

    More Everyday Cake, Bakes and Dessert Recipes

    • Sherry Trifle decorated with cream and raspberries in a crystal bowl on a dark worktop
      Sherry Trifle
    • Small Christmas Loaf Cake decorated with marzipan, icing and marzipan stars. Two mugs of tea and a Christmas decorations in the background.
      Easy Christmas Loaf Cake
    • Half a Coconut Loaf Cake with a slice cut on a grey plate
      Coconut Loaf Cake
    • Stack of 6 Anzac Biscuits on a square white plate
      Anzac Biscuits

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shirley says

      August 18, 2024 at 12:37 pm

      5 stars
      wonderful recipe
      I'm getting on a bit, and haven't made a cake for a long time (excuses first). So, I got on ok until I put the pears in the cooking container - first mistake - put the cake mixture in first.oh boo. Too late now. The mixture on top of the pears wasn't spreading very well - remembered i hadn't put any baking powder in for the plain flour (you don't get SR flour in Spain). Then I had to laugh as I realised i hadn'r put any eggs in. oh well, just stuff it in the oven.. whatever. Seems that it may be cooked after 10 or 15 minutes. At the moment, it's resting and I'm going for a swim.
      NB: my variations are not recommended:)

      Reply
      • Susie Collings says

        August 21, 2024 at 6:14 pm

        Hi Shirley, I'm glad you like the recipe. Well, don't we all have days like that 🙂 I hope it the cake turns out ok, and you get a chance to make it as per the recipe to compare. Enjoy.

        Reply
    5 from 1 vote

    Made this recipe or got a question? Let me know! Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Susie. Mostly I love cooking and baking, but combining work and home life often leaves me feeling that providing healthy, tasty food for my family is a chore. On those days I am decidedly an Everyday Cook...

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Selection of cakes and cookies for Easter.
      Best Easter Cakes
    • Pieces of Easter Rocky Road on a plate
      Easter Rocky Road
    • 8 Easter Nest Cupcakes full of mini eggs on a grey plate
      Easter Nest Cupcakes
    • Light Simnel Cake on a patterned plate on a pinkcloth
      Light Simnel Cake

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Privacy

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • About
    • What is an Everyday Cook?

    Copyright © 2018-2021 Everyday Cooks

    Pear and Almond Cake with toasted almond topping

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.