Spiced Pear Cake

The sweetness and texture of pears makes this pear cake feel extra cozy and elegant all at once. If you've been looking for a show-stopping dessert for fall gatherings or even a weekend bake, this layered pear cake with maple buttercream, poached pears, and salted caramel is exactly what you should be looking for.

In this post, you'll learn how to make a spiced pear cake, a French-style maple buttercream (no egg whites!), poached pears for filling, and a glossy caramel drizzle to finish it off.

Why I Love This Pear Cake

1. The pear flavor is cozy, naturally sweet, and pairs perfectly with warm spices for the fall season.
2. The French-style Maple buttercream helps you use any egg yolks you may have leftover from making recipes that only use egg whites (like macarons).
3. The salted caramel drip brings flavor and a beautiful finish to decorate the cake.

Ingredient Overview

To assemble this pear cake, we'll use classic pantry staples with a few special touches. The pears will add moisture and sweetness, the spices bring warmth, and the maple syrup in the buttercream gives a rich, caramel-like finish. Poached pears in between the layers will give another dimension of texture to the cake.

Cake:

• All-purpose flour
• Sugar
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon
• Vegetable oil
• Eggs
• Sour cream
• Fresh pears, grated

Maple Buttercream:

• Egg yolks
• Maple syrup
• Unsalted butter

Poached Pears:

• Water
• Sugar
• Vanilla bean or powder
• Fresh pears

Salted Caramel:

• Sugar
• Unsalted butter
• Whipping cream
• Salt

✨ I recommend using ripe but firm pears for the cake and poached pears, so they hold their shape without becoming mushy.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the Pear Cake Layers

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two tall 6-inch pans.
2. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and spices in a bowl.
3. Then, in another bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, and sour cream.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in stages, alternating with the grated pears.
5. Divide the batter between pans and bake for about 40 minutes.
6. Cool completely before removing from pans.

Prepare the Maple Buttercream

1. Whisk egg yolks until light and fluffy in a stand mixer or a bowl.
2. Heat maple syrup to 240°F (soft ball stage).
3. Slowly pour syrup over yolks while whisking constantly.
4. Keep whisking until cooled to room temperature, then add butter cubes and whip until silky.

Poach the Pears

1. Bring water, sugar, and vanilla to a boil.
2. Add peeled, cored pears and simmer 15-20 minutes until tender but firm.
3. Cool, then dice into small cubes.

Make the Salted Caramel

1. Melt sugar in a pot over medium-high heat until caramelized.
2. Remove from heat, add butter, and stir until smooth.
3. Whisk in cream and salt. If needed, return briefly to heat to dissolve any hardened bits.
4. Cool to room temperature before using.

Assemble the Pear Cake

1. Slice each cake into two layers for four total.
2. Place one layer on a cake board. Spread a thin layer of buttercream, add diced poached pears. Repeat with remaining layers.
3. Cover the cake with remaining buttercream and chill for 1 hour.
4. Once firm, drizzle salted caramel over the top, letting it drip slightly down the sides.

💡 Baker’s Tips

• Grate pears just before mixing to prevent browning.
• Chill the buttercream before using if it feels too soft.
• French buttercream is very soft and can melt pretty quickly. If you live in a hot and humid climate, make sure to keep the cake in the fridge until just about ready to serve.
• For the cleanest caramel drip, make sure your cake is cold and the caramel is just slightly warm.

Variations & Substitutions

• You can use apples instead of pears for a fall apple cake twist.
• Swap French maple buttercream for a maple swiss meringue buttercream if you prefer or live in a warm climate.
• Add chopped toasted walnuts or pecans to the cake for crunch.

Storage & Freezing Info

• Store in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days.
• To freeze, wrap cake slices tightly in plastic and store for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Serving Suggestions

This pear cake is a great addition for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any fall celebration. Serve it with a dollop of spiced whipped cream or vanilla custard for garnish.

Spiced Pear Cake

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It's fall in a cake! With maple buttercream and a salted caramel drip, this is a great option for your Thanksgiving table!

Bruna Gomes

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

  

For the cake

• 2 cups all purpose flour 240g
• 1 cup sugar 200g
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup vegetable oil 120 ml
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• ⅓ cup sour cream 80 ml
• 2 small pears peeled, seeded and grated

Maple Buttercream

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 cup 1 cup maple syrup 340g
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed and cold 227g

Poached Pears

• 2 cups water
• ¾ cup sugar 150g
• 1 pinch of vanilla powder or seeds of ½ vanilla bean
• 3-4 pears peeled, cored and cut in half

Salted Caramel Sauce

• 1 cup sugar 200g
• ½ cup butter 113g
• ¾ cup heavy cream 180g
• pinch of salt

Instructions

 

For the cake layers

• Pre-heat your oven to 350°F and grease and flour two round 6-inch tall pans.
• Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and the spices in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, mix the oil, eggs and sour cream.
• Start incorporating the dry ingredients into the wet, alternating with the pears.
• Pour this mixture into both pans, dividing equally. Let bake for about 40 minutes, allowing it to cool before removing them from the pan.

For the Buttercream

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the yolks until they become light and fluffy.
• In a saucepan, heat the maple syrup to the soft ball stage (about 115°C/240°F).
• While whisking the yolks, pour the maple syrup over them and keep whisking until the mixture reaches room temperature.
• Once the mixture has cooled down, start adding the cold butter and whisk it until it becomes silky and soft. Put it in the fridge if not using immediately, but bring it back to room temperature before using.

For the Poached pears

• In a large saucepan, mix the water, vanilla and sugar and let it boil.
• Peel and core the pears and put them in the boiling syrup.
• Let them cook for about 15-20 minutes or until they become tender, but still firm.
• Once they're cool, cut them in small cubes. Set aside. Poached pears can be made in advance.

For the Salted Caramel

• Make a dry caramel by adding the sugar to a saucepan and warming it up over medium-high heat until it reaches a light amber color.
• Once caramelized, remove from heat and immediately add the butter. Mix it until all the butter has dissolved.
• Then, add the cream and mix until the cream has been incorporated. Add the salt and mix.
• In case there are some small bits of hard caramel, put the pan back to heat to dissolve it.
• Leave the caramel to cool, and use it at room temperature (about 25-27°C). The caramel can be made in advance.

For Assembly

• Cut each cake in half. In a cake board, put the first layer of cake, spread a thin layer of buttercream and top with two tablespoon of poached pears, diced.
• Repeat this process until you end with three layers of cake.
• Cover the whole cake with the remaining buttercream and leave it in the fridge to let it harden, about 1 hour.
• Once the buttercream is hard to the touch, pour the caramel sauce on the top, letting it drop a little to the sides.
• Leave it in the fridge until ready to serve.

Keyword fall, maple, pear, salted caramel, thanksgiving

FAQ

What kind of pears are best for pear cake?
Use firm pears like Bosc or Anjou. They hold up well when baked and poached.

Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Yes. Bake the cake layers 1-2 days ahead and store wrapped at room temperature. Assemble with buttercream and caramel the day of serving.