Fresh Ginger and Pear Cake ~ this buttery breakfast cake is lightly spiced with fresh ginger and cardamom, and topped with fresh juicy pears.
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“It was perfection! Such a delicious cake for breakfast, just the right amount of (modest) sweetness for the morning and a delicious crumb. It held up overnight just beautifully, wrapped in foil as you suggested. I give it A+, 5 stars, Sue!” ~ Deb
My fresh ginger and pear cake is a one bowl wonder, and a great way to use up those pears that are ripening alarmingly fast on your counter. This is a lovely and unusually flavored cake that would be perfect for breakfast, brunch, or with a warming cup of tea on a chilly afternoon.
fresh ginger makes this pear cake stand out from the rest
There’s enough in there to be noticeable, but it’s not overpowering, in case you’re worried. It gives a really nice warmth to the cake and the flavor goes beautifully with the pears. It made me wonder why I don’t use fresh ginger in cakes more often! The hint of cardamom gives it that subtle je ne sais quoi, where cinnamon would just overpower the cake. And the whole thing is so darned aromatic, it’s the kind of thing you pop in the oven when friends are coming over and you want everything to seem effortless and casual.
The combination of buttery cake, juicy fruit, and gentle spice is just heavenly!
don’t let pears be overshadowed by pumpkin this fall
This pear cake is the solution for when you’ve been there done that with pumpkin-spice, but still want something that feels like fall.
Any sort of pear should work fine for this cake, you just want to make sure they are ripe, without being at all mushy. You should be able to glide a knife through them easily (no crunchy pears please!) for nice clean slices. That way when you bake them the juices will release but they won’t fall apart.
more ways to flavor this cake
If you’re not a fan of ginger, you can definitely add vanilla extract or almond extract (1-2 tsp) in place of the ginger and cardamom, or try adding some traditional fall spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. The base of this cake is very similar to my super popular Strawberry Buttermilk Cake, so you know it’s going to be good. Feel free to play with it, and make it your own.
You can also experiment with using different fruit — I think sliced apples would work well in place of the pears, or fresh berries. Just make sure that you keep the pieces relatively thin/small so that the cake and the fruit can cook through.
the best pan to use for this fresh ginger and pear cake:
I used a 9-inch springform pan for this recipe, which makes it really easy to get the cake out of the pan. You could, if you wanted, bake this recipe in a 9×9 square baker. Just make sure to line it with parchment paper that hangs over the sides so you can lift it out easily after baking. Either that or plan to cut and serve from the pan.
If you need to use an 8-inch round pan, be aware that the cooking time will be longer and, depending on how much fruit you use, it may be tricky to get it cooked through in the middle before over cooking the edges.
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Fresh Ginger and Pear Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated, about a 3 inch piece of ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 2-3 ripe pears, sliced
- A couple tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F. Butter a 9 inch springform pan.
- In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, letting each become fully incorporated.
- Add the baking powder, salt, ginger, and cardamom, and mix briefly to combine.
- Add the flour, and mix to combine, alternating with the Greek yogurt.
- Give the mixture a final stir by hand to make sure everything is evenly incorporated, and spread the batter into your prepared pan.
- Arrange your pear slices on top of the cake, pushing them into the batter very slightly.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and starting to turn golden on top.
- Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the springform pan. Continue to cool on a baking rack, and dust with powdered sugar when completely cooled.
Made this for dessert yesterday. Delicious, and pretty easy! We ate leftovers for breakfast, and I highly recommend enjoying with a cup of earl grey.
My pears are really ripe now and I am considering making this today, but I won’t be serving the cake for two days. Do you think it will store OK in the refrigerator? How would you recommend storing it?
I would let it cool completely and then wrap in plastic and refrigerate. Then let come to room temperature before serving, or even gently warm it in a low oven, covered loosely with foil.
I love making this cake and the smell during baking was amazing. It turned out a little dense and dry so I am not sure what I did wrong. I did not have fresh ginger so I minced some crystalized ginger and used that. I measured accurately and my baking powder is fresh. Any ideas?
Hey Cindy ~ the two things that come to mind are making sure you really cream the butter and sugar for the full 5 minutes, and then continue beating after each egg. This really helps the cake become light as it bakes. And the other thing is to make sure your oven is at the accurate temperature, and not to over bake. Even over baking a cake by just a little bit can dry it out. Hope this helps.
I love all the ingredients except pears. What would be a good substitute. ? Firm plums ?
You could use plums, sure, or apples.
I love the ginger flavor in this cake. It is the first time I have used fresh ginger in baked goods and am amazed at how well it works. Thank you for a great recipe! This cake was my husband’s birthday cake this year, and it was a hit.
Sue What is the conversion of quantities for UK measurements either OZS or Grams can you advise thanks
recipe looks super
Loved the cake, but wondered if it freezes well.
It should freeze fine.
An excellent cake! I left out the ginger and the cardamom (didn’t have any on hand) and added some vanilla and it was yummy! Family loves it!
can I sub non dairy milk or cashew yogurt for the Greek yogurt? I realized I forgot to get the yogurt!
Sure, that should be fine.
It was super easy to follow.Perfect recipe.