This Spiced Pear Bundt Cake is a moist, tender dessert with ripe pears and the warmth of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Easy to make and beautifully aromatic, it’s perfect for brunches, casual get-togethers, or enjoying with a cup of tea.
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This cake is great to make ahead because it tastes even better the next day. The sweet pear flavor and cozy spices become richer and more delicious as it sits.
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Ingredients
Pear filling
Gather the following ingredients to prep the pears for this cake:
- Pears - use a ripe, firm pear such as Bosc, Anjou, and Bartlett. Peel, core, and chop the pears into ¼-inch cubes before you start the recipe
- Brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Lemon juice
Bundt cake batter ingredients
- All-purpose flour - sift flour if necessary to remove any lumps
- Ground ginger, ground cinnamon and ground cloves
- Baking powder and salt
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar
- Unsalted butter and Eggs - bring both of these ingredients to room temperature before starting the pear Bundt cake recipe
- Sour cream - use full fat (may substitute with Greek yogurt)
- Buttermilk - this recipe uses ¾ cup of buttermilk. If you don’t have any, you can make your own. Just mix 2 teaspoons of white vinegar into ¾ cup of whole milk. Let it sit for about 30 minutes. The milk will curdle a bit and become tangy—just like buttermilk.
- Vegetable oil
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
The first step in making this cake is to macerate the pears. This is an important step as macerating the fruit pulls out extra moisture and keeps your cake from turning out soggy. Follow the instructions below to prepare your pears:
1 - Peel, core and chop pears into ¼" cubes. Place in a bowl.
2 - Sprinkle lemon juice, brown sugar and cinnamon over the pears. Toss to combine. Cover bowl and set aside for 1 hour.
3 - After an hour pour the pears into a sieve to drain. Discard the excess juices. Set aside for later.
Prepare Bundt cake pan
This Spiced Pear Bundt Cake is fairly simple to make and not much can go wrong except when you unmold it. Take the time to properly prepare your cake pan before creating the cake batter. I recommend one of the following methods:
- Generously spray the pan with baking spray making sure to get the spray into any little crevices. Using a paper towel, remove any excess spray that has pooled in the crevices.
- Combine ¼ cup flour, ¼ cup vegetable shorting and ¼ cup vegetable oil in a mixer. Mix until the ingredients are well combined. Using a pastry brush, apply to the inside of the pan.
Pear Bundt cake instructions
1 - In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Set aside.
2 - In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, sour cream and oil. Set aside.
3 - Place butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl. Using a handheld or stand mixer, mix the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 2 minutes)
4 - Add ½ of the flour mixture and ½ of the buttermilk mixture to the mixing bowl. Mix together until just combined, scraping sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
5 - Add the remaining flour and buttermilk mixtures. Mix until just combined, scraping sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
6 - Add macerated pears to the bowl. Stir gently until pears are well distributed through the cake batter.
7 - Add cake batter to prepared baking pan. Gently smooth the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 45 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
8 - Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then flip the cake over onto a cooling rack. Remove cake pan and allow to cool for another hour. After cooling, move cake to a serving platter.
Pear Bundt cake serving ideas
- Glaze - decorate the top of the cake by drizzling with glaze - it only takes a few minutes to whip up. Combine ½ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon or ginger, and 1 tablespoon milk. Whisk together until smooth and drizzle over top of cooled cake.
- Ice cream - top each slice with a generous scoop of vanilla or almond ice cream.
- Pear compote - serve by scooping a spoonful of my pear compote over each cake slice—this makes the cake look even more appealing and adds extra pear flavor in every bite.
Equipment
You need the following equipment to make this spiced pear Bundt cake:
- Bundt Cake Pan
- Electric mixer (hand- or stand-mixer)
- Bowls, measuring cups and spoons
- Silicone spatula
- Knife, peeler and cutting board
- Sieve
Storage
Bundt cakes will stay fresh for longer periods compared to lighter, airier cakes. This is helpful when you need to prepare a dessert a few days in advance. Store the cake at room temperature wrapped in foil or plastic for up to 4 days.
To freeze, wrap the pear Bundt cake well and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and allow to defrost at room temperature (approximately 2 hours).
Top Tip
Don’t skip the pear maceration step—it’s essential for drawing out excess moisture from the pears and helps prevent a soggy cake.
More dessert recipes featuring pears
Love pears and want more delicious dessert recipes featuring this fruit? Check out these:
I hope you enjoy this Spiced Pear Bundt Cake as much as my family and friends have over the years!
📋 Recipe
Spiced Pear Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Electric mixer hand- or stand-mixer
- Bowls, measuring cups and spoons
- Knife, fruit peeler, cutting board
- Sieve
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 3 cups All-purpose flour sifted
- 1 Tablespoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1½ teaspoons Ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon Ground cloves
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- ½ cup Brown sugar light or dark
- ⅔ cup Unsalted butter Softened
- 5 large Eggs Room temperature
- ¾ cup Sour cream Room temperature (may substitute with Greek yogurt)
- ¾ cup Buttermilk
- ¼ cup Vegetable oil
Pear Filling
- 4 Medium Pears Peeled, cored and chopped into ¼ cubes
- ¼ Cup Brown sugar light or dark
- ¼ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice approximately 1 medium lemon
Instructions
Pear Filling (macerated pears)
- Don’t skip the this step—it’s essential for drawing out excess moisture from the pears and helps prevent a soggy cake.
- Peel, core and chop pears into ¼" cubes. Place in a bowl4 Medium Pears
- Sprinkle lemon juice, ¼ cup brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon over the pears. Toss to combine.¼ Cup Brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
- Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it sit for 1 hour. This step is called macerating — it helps pull out some of the extra juice from the pears so the cake doesn’t get soggy.
- After an hour, pour the pears into a sieve to drain. Discard the excess juices. Set aside for later.
Cake Batter
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃)
- Prepare a 12-cup Bundt cake pan by spraying generously with baking spray. Alternatively, combine ¼ cup vegetable oil, ¼ cup flour and ¼ vegetable shortening. Using a pastry brush, apply generously to the Bundt cake pan.
- In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Set aside. (note: sift flour if necessary to remove any lumps)3 cups All-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Salt, 1½ teaspoons Ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon Ground ginger, ½ teaspoon Ground cloves
- In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, sour cream and oil. Set aside.5 large Eggs, ¾ cup Sour cream, ¾ cup Buttermilk, ¼ cup Vegetable oil
- Place butter and both sugars in a mixing bowl. Using a handheld or stand mixer, mix the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 2 minutes)¾ cup Granulated sugar, ⅔ cup Unsalted butter, ½ cup Brown sugar
- Add ½ of the flour mixture and ½ of the buttermilk mixture to the bowl with the butter and sugars. Mix together until just combined, scraping sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
- Add the remaining flour and buttermilk mixtures. Mix until just combined, scraping sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
- Add macerated pears to the mixing bowl. Stir gently until pears are well distributed through the cake batter.
- Add the batter to the prepared baking pan. Gently smooth the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. You may also check for doneness using an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature of the cake should be 180℉ (83℃). Note: if the cake top begins to turn too dark, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the cake and continue baking until done.
- Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes then flip the cake over onto a cooling rack. Remove cake pan and allow to cool for another hour. After cooling, move cake onto a serving platter.
Video
Notes
- Store the cake at room temperature wrapped in foil or plastic for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap the pear Bundt cake well and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and allow to defrost at room temperature (approximately 2 hours).
- Don’t skip the pear maceration step—it’s essential for drawing out excess moisture from the pears and helps prevent a soggy cake.
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