Buttermilk Pear Cake
Enjoy this not-too-sweet Buttermilk Pear Cake, a pear cake recipe made with buttermilk and chunks of pears. Serve with cream and berries!
This easy breakfast pear cake is a winter dessert to bake the cold-weather blues away! It’s perfect for breakfast or brunch, and it tastes just as good as it looks. I am so excited about this moist pear cake that is made out of buttermilk and pears, as it also makes an unforgettable dinner dessert!
Buttermilk Pear Cake
This Fresh Pear Cake recipe is easy to make and one you will enjoy many times for breakfast with family or friends. It’s a great “company” breakfast cake to serve with this Trader Joe’s Brioche French Toast Board or this Scrambled Egg Brunch Charcuterie Board.
Why I love this recipe
- You can make it ahead and reheat the next day.
- It’s so moist and juicy, and the sweetness of the pears makess it oh so good.
- Company loves this cake – for breakfast or dinner dessert.
Gather these ingredients:
- Ripe Bartlett pears: or use any juicy variety of pear
- Unsalted butter
- Buttermilk
- Flour
- Eggs
- White sugar + brown sugar
- Salt + cinnamon + nutmeg + baking powder
- Vanilla extract
- Unsweetened whipped cream + raspberries
How do you make a fresh pear cake?
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 or 9 inch circular baking dish, square or round, and set aside.
- Combine the brown sugar and pears in a bowl. Toss with your hands and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until medium-stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the white sugar, melted butter, and the buttermilk. Whisk until smooth, then stir in the egg yolks, and vanilla.
- Incorporate the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, adding about 1/3 cup at a time, mixing just until a smooth batter forms. Add the egg whites in two batches, folding in gently so as not to deflate the air bubbles.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top using a spatula. Spread the pears over the top evenly—do not overload the center of the cake with too much moisture.
- Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Serve with a lightly sweetened whipped cream and tart berries!
Why is buttermilk better for cakes?
Buttermilk brings a pleasant tang to cakes and breads (and waffles!) and other family favorites, while adding very little fat. It’s a tenderizer and makes the cake very moist.
Just add the pears for my favorite breakfast cake in the world! Or, uou may remember from previous posts, I’m a lover of buttermilk desserts: This Best Cherry Buttermilk Cake – pit your own cherries or use canned! Or this Perfect Peach Buttermilk Cake which is a great way to showcase summer peaches!
What can you substitute for buttermilk in a cake?
If you don’t have buttermilk, substitute using sour cream. But, please note, the buttermilk flavor is out of this world, and we highly recommend it for this cake recipe.
How do you make buttermilk from scratch?
- Simply mix milk and lemon juice together, using the ratio 1 cup milk to 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
- Allow the mixture to rest and curdle for a few minutes, then stir and use!
Can I use buttermilk instead of milk?
Use buttermilk! It has very little fat, with the same outcome in baked goods (like muffins and breakfast cakes). Plus, it helps quick breads rise.
Can I use sour cream instead of buttermilk?
Sour cream can also be used as a buttermilk substitute. You can also use plain yogurt.
Did you know you can make your own sour cream?
To make 1 cup of sour cream, mix 3-4 tablespoons regular milk into enough sour cream to equal 1 cup.
Can you freeze pear cake?
Yes you can! A wonderful dessert or breakfast cake using the fall pear bounty will freeze well. Cut the cake in half, enjoy one half and freeze the other
Enjoy a slice at a time!
More pear desserts to try:
Pear Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce
Apple Betty (but use pears in place of apples)
Get the Recipe:
Buttermilk Pear Cake (delicious breakfast cake!)
Ingredients
- 2 c ripe Bartlett pears, peeled and cubed 3/4’’ (2 small pears)
- ¼ c brown sugar
- 1 c flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 2 eggs, separated
- ⅓ c white sugar
- ½ c unsalted butter, plus 2 tsp to grease pan
- ½ c buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Unsweetened whipped cream and raspberries to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 or 9 inch circular baking dish, square or round, and set aside.
- Combine the brown sugar and pears in a bowl. Toss with your hands and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until medium-stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the white sugar, melted butter, and the buttermilk. Whisk until smooth, then stir in the egg yolks, and vanilla.
- Incorporate the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, adding about 1/3 cup at a time, mixing just until a smooth batter forms. Add the egg whites in two batches, folding in gently so as not to deflate the air bubbles.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top using a spatula. Spread the pears over the top evenly—do not overload the center of the cake with too much moisture.
- Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Serve with a lightly sweetened whipped cream and tart berries!
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Followed recipe exactly and I was extremely pleased with the results, though the written instructions forgot to include the cinnamon and nutmeg- so be aware of that. I just added them to the flour mixture. At first, I was wary of this one because I didn’t see any written reviews. Glad I was brave enough to try. It’s pretty delicious and I can’t wait to have some with my morning coffee. Will likely end up a midnight snack as well.