My Pear Loaf Cake is the perfect sweet treat, suitable for any time of day. Made with the warm, aromatic spice combination of cinnamon and ginger, great companions with pears, we add some sour cream to the mixture to ensure a moist, tender texture. It is so quickly and easily made; you simply combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet in another, mix them together and bake.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- This Pear Loaf Cake is a great addition to your baking repertoire. It is ideal for those times when we want a cake that we can prepare with a minimum of effort.
- No special equipment is required. Just combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another, mix and bake. So easy!
- The method of preparation is so simple that it is ideal for inexperienced cooks or experienced cooks alike. In fact, it’s so easy, it’s a great one to involve children.
- As well, when you make a cake yourself, you can control the quality of the ingredients. There are no unnecessary preservatives or additives that may be in commercially prepared cakes.
- Nothing quite beats the aroma of a cake baking. It at once evokes the feeling of comfort and warmth in your home.
- The combination of pears and spice evokes the very essence of autumn/fall, although the Pear Loaf is a delight in all seasons.
- You can make this loaf cake a day in advance and it will still be deliciously moist, due to the addition of sour cream and fresh pears.
- It is a versatile quick bread, ideal to serve with morning coffee but also suitable for dessert.
Recipe Inspiration: I love using pear in baked goods. Like my Gluten-Free Pear and Raspberry Cake, this recipe is simple and delicious, as well as versatile.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Plain/all-purpose flour – a general use, versatile flour which does not contain a raising agent. Use a gluten-free flour blend if necessary.
- Light brown sugar – adds a gentle caramel note to the mixture.
- Baking powder – a raising agent, not to be confused with baking soda.
- Sea salt – just a small amount heightens the flavours of the cake.
- Ground cinnamon and ginger – classic warm spices to accompany pears.
- Pears – we use Packham pears, also known as Autumn Bartlett. You could also use Bosc or Anjou. The pears should be ripe, but still slightly firm. Overripe pears won't hold their shape while baking and may have too much moisture.
- Unsalted butter – we use unsalted butter so that we can control the amount of salt. The amount of salt in salted butter varies enormously.
- Vanilla extract – for the best flavour, we prefer vanilla naturally extracted from the bean and not artificially flavoured.
- Eggs – we use large free-range eggs.
- Sour cream – adds moisture and smooth texture to baked goods. We use full-fat sour cream.
- Icing/powdered sugar – mixed with water, we use this to glaze the loaf cake.
Variations:
Plain/all purpose flour – use gluten-free if preferred, but ensure the gluten-free flour blend you use contains xanthan gum.
Nuts – if you wish, you could add some chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter.
Lemon/orange zest – some freshly grated lemon or orange zest, about 1 teaspoon, would add a bright citrus note.
How To Make Pear Loaf Cake:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Prepare your dry ingredients:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, sea salt, ground cinnamon and ginger and stir to combine.
When you are ready with your wet ingredients, you'll also toss the chopped pears in the dry ingredients.
2 – Prepare your wet ingredients:
In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter, vanilla, eggs and sour cream and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
3 – Combine your mixtures:
Add your wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. The mixture will be very thick.
4 – Add to your baking tin:
Add the cake batter to your prepared tin, and smooth out using an off-set spatula. Tap the tin a few times gently on the kitchen bench to remove any air bubbles.
Bake in your preheated oven. Once the cake has cooled, top with a simple glaze.
Hint: don't over mix the cake batter - just combine until you can see the flour is mixed through.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
You can certainly make it a day ahead. The addition of sour cream means that it will remain deliciously moist.
Store the loaf in an airtight container in a cool, dry location for up to 3 days. If the weather is humid, or you want to keep the loaf longer, store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days. Return to room temperature to serve.
Yes, it freezes well. For convenience cut the cake in thick slices and wrap in cling wrap. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. This way you can remove a slice whenever it suits you. If you can’t wait for it to defrost, you can give it a short time in the microwave and serve it warm.
I have tested this recipe with a good quality 1 for 1 gluten-free flour, with great success. Ensure the gluten-free flour blend you use contains xanthan gum.
To begin, use a piece of kitchen paper to thoroughly grease the base and sides of the tin. Butter is better than oil for this purpose as it adheres better to the baking paper, helping keep it in place. Then, cut a strip of baking paper to fit the base and go up the longer sides of the tin, with enough to have a small overhang, just enough for you to grip to lift the loaf from the tin. Leave an overhang of about 2 ½ cm (1 inch) on each side and trim the paper if necessary. Make sure the two small ends of the tin are greased with butter, so there is no risk of the loaf sticking. If you are unsure of your tin, cut two smaller pieces of baking paper to fit the ends and press them firmly to fit against the base paper.
Top Tip:
For the best result, have all your ingredients prepared before you start. Have them all at cool room temperature as this helps the ingredients to amalgamate smoothly.
Don’t over mix your batter. After you add the wet ingredients to the dry, gently mix the batter until all the dry ingredients are combined and no flour is visible.
Serving Suggestions:
Serve the Pear Loaf Cake with a simple glaze as in the recipe, or with a dusting of icing/powdered sugar if you prefer.
This simple quick bread is extremely versatile. Serve it for morning or afternoon tea, for brunch, take to potlucks, pack into a lunchbox, or enjoy as an after-school snack. It also makes a welcome gift for someone you care about.
This Loaf Cake will be a great addition to your baking repertoire as it is one of the easiest cakes to make. It is moist and tender, and lightly spiced with the warm notes of ground cinnamon and ginger perfectly complementing the pears. It will be a fantastic addition to any gathering.
Alex xx
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Pear Loaf Cake
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Pear Loaf:
- 250 g (1 & ⅔ cups) plain/all-purpose flour See Note 1
- 200 g (1 cup) light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 300 g (10.5 oz) pears – cut into 1.5 cm/ ½ inch pieces, we use Packham/Bartlett (approx. 2 medium pears) See Note 2
- 120 g (½ cup) unsalted butter – melted and allowed to cool
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs – at room temperature
- 180 g (¾ cup) full-fat sour cream - at room temperature
For the Glaze:
- 90 g (⅔ cup) icing/powdered sugar – sifted if necessary
- 4-5 teaspoon water - until desired consistency is achieved
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C (355 degrees F).
- Grease and line a 9 x 5 inch loaf tin (23 x 13 cm) – leave a little overhang of baking paper for easy removal.My tin has a depth of 2.5 inches (6.35 cm).
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, sea salt and ground cinnamon, ginger and stir to combine. Add the chopped pears to the dry ingredients, and toss until combined.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the cooled melted butter, vanilla, eggs and sour cream and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
- Add your wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. The mixture will be very thick.
- Add the cake batter to your prepared tin, and smooth out using an off-set spatula. Tap the tin a few times gently on the kitchen bench to get any air bubbles out.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 55-65 minutes – my cake took 60 minutes -until a skewer comes out cleanly.
- Cool for 15 minutes in the tin before gently removing to a cooling rack. I find it easier to slightly tilt the tin to the left over the rack and pull the paper as I gently ease the cake out. Allow the Pear Loaf to cool completely before adding the glaze. Once the glaze has set, slice the cake into 8 pieces.
Notes
- Measurements: for the most accurate measurements when baking, we suggest you weigh your ingredients.
- Pears: this is the prepared weight of the pears once they have been cut up. Use a pear that is ideal for cooking - one that is firm and not overripe.
- Storage: should there happen to be any leftovers, store them at cool room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. But if the climate is hot, store the container in the fridge.
- Freezing: wrap in cling wrap and then in foil or place in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You may find it more convenient to freeze and wrap individual slices. Make sure they are well wrapped to prevent freezer burn and bring to room temperature for serving.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
C T says
Excellent! This is such a good loaf recipe. Will be making again also.
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you very much 🙂
So pleased to hear this! Alex xo
Caroline says
I love pears so this loaf was perfect for me, the combo of butter eggs and sour cream makes it delicious and moist. I had it plain (no icing) and it was the best. Easy to make too. Have printed it out & added to ‘my favourites’. Thanks for sharing.
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you, Caroline! 🙂
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, and I hope you'll find many more to try!
Alex xo
Lorraine says
This is fantastic. As a coeliac it's brilliant to come across wonderful recipes like this one, as there's been a lot of trial and error with GF baking. I'd no sour cream, so I used Greek yogurt as a substitute which turned out great. I made the apple loaf too. Delicious. It looks like and has the texture of 'real' cake - which I've missed !
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you so much, Lorraine 🙂
I am so happy you came across this recipe. We have several other GF cakes you may like to try on the website too.
I appreciate your comment! Alex xo
Lyn says
Absolutely delicious loaf, moist too. I just dusted it with icing sugar. Will definitely make this again! Thanks so much for sharing!
Alexandra Cook says
Hello Lyn,
Thank you so much for making our Pear Loaf Cake.
I am so pleased that you enjoyed this recipe and will be making it again! Alex xo