Pear Cake

This pear cake is very easy to make and also quite beautiful in its simplicity. You can, of course, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a cloud of just barely sweetened whipped cream, but it’s also wonderful on its own, at ambient temperature or even chilled, as part of a mid-afternoon coffee klatsch with a good friend.  —  Christine Flynn, A Generous Meal: Modern Recipes for Dinner, Penguin Canada.

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Pear Cake

Course Dessert
Author Christine Flynn, author of A Generous Meal: Modern Recipes for Dinner

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup (175 mL) + 1 tablespoon (15 mL) granulated sugar, divided
  • ¾ cup (175 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or good-quality canola oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
  • ½ teaspoon (2 mL) ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons (10 mL) baking powder
  • 4 small ripe Red Anjou or Bosc pears halved and cored
  • Vanilla ice cream to serve (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together ¾ cup (175 mL) of the sugar and the olive oil. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well with a rubber spatula after each addition. Add the lemon zest, salt, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Stir until just combined.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Use a spatula to spread it in an even layer. Place the pears, cut side up, in the batter, but don’t press them in more than about ½ inch (1 cm), as the batter will rise as it bakes. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of sugar on top. Bake for 30 to 32 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes before serving.
  • Cut the cake into squares and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes

Excerpted from A Generous Meal by Christine Flynn. Copyright © 2023 Christine Flynn. Photographs by Suech and Beck. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.