Pear Buttermilk Breakfast Cake
Enjoy this not-too-sweet Pear Buttermilk Breakfast Cake, made with buttermilk cake batter. Serve with cream and berries!
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.
Well hello there, beautiful Luna the Eurasian Eagle-owl! I can’t wait to share with you a fun experience we had last week. [Keep reading …]
Pear Buttermilk Breakfast Cake
But first, this simple and basic Pear Buttermilk Breakfast Cake! Let me just say, I am so excited about this post! A moist cake that is made out of buttermilk and pears, and delicious for breakfast. It also makes a unforgettable dinner dessert!
Ingredients for Pear Buttermilk Cake:
- Ripe Bartlett pears
- Unsalted butter
- Buttermilk
- Flour
- Eggs
- White sugar + brown sugar
- Salt + cinnamon + nutmeg + baking powder
- Vanilla extract
- Unsweetened whipped cream + raspberries
Best buttermilk cakes
Buttermilk brings a pleasant tang to cakes and breads (and waffles!) and other family favorites, while adding very little fat.
But whisked together with melted butter, eggs, and vanilla? Just add the pears for my favorite breakfast cake in the world!
You may remember from previous posts, I’m a lover of buttermilk desserts:
Best Cherry Buttermilk Cake – pit your own cherries or use canned!
Perfect Peach Buttermilk Cake is a great way to showcase summer peaches!
Why do you add buttermilk to cake?
If you don’t have buttermilk, substitute for it with sour cream. But, please note, the buttermilk flavor is out of this world.
How do you make buttermilk from scratch?
Simply mix milk and lemon juice together. Use 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 in place of buttermilk, 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!
Meet Luna, the Eurasian Eagle-owl
This last week we went to the Sunriver Nature Center and Observatory? in our little town to meet the owl, Luna.
During this private experience, we learned all about this remarkable species, and Luna’s daily life at the Nature Center, while observing a training.
Eurasian Eagle-owls are extraordinary owls in many different ways. This species is known as the largest owl in the world, weighing up to 10 lbs, with a wingspan of up to 6 ft. In human care, this species can live up to 60 years old, but they generally only live to 20 years old in the wild.
I love the photo gallery of Luna the first 60 days of her life!
So if you come to Sunriver for a visit, try to schedule your own private meet and greet with the Sunriver Nature Center!

Get the Recipe:
Pear Buttermilk Breakfast Cake
Ingredients
- 2 c ripe Bartlett pears, peeled and cubed 3/4’’ (2 small pears)
- 1/2 c unsalted butter, plus 2 tsp to grease pan
- 1/2 c buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 c flour
- 2 eggs, separated
- 1/3 c white sugar
- 1/4 c brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 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 t ogether the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- 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!