This moist, delicious Chocolate Pear Cake is made with fresh pears, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and cocoa powder. It’s generously coated with cinnamon sugar. It is finished with an easy two ingredient icing.
This chocolate and pear cake is made with roasted pears. Pears add moisture and fresh flavor to the cocoa based cake. It’s made extra delicious with a cinnamon sugar coating and icing.
Apples are usually the star of fall baking. I love baking with pears too, so I created this cake. Pears are so good with chocolate!
If you’re looking for more fall treats, try my apple cider coffee cake, olive oil pumpkin cake, and my double chocolate zucchini bread.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is easy to make. It’s also made with basic ingredients that you likely have n your pantry.
- You’ll love how moist this cake is! Pureed pears add moisture in the same way applesauce does when used in cake recipes.
- Pears have mild flavor and mild sweetness. Overall, they add a lovely fresh taste to this chocolate cake. Try my sweet potato chocolate cake for another fresh tasting chocolate cake!
- The cinnamon sugar coating is absolutely delicious. It tastes similar to apple cider donuts!
Ingredients
Below are some useful notes about some of the ingredients for this chocolate and pear cake.
- Fresh Pears: Use fresh, ripe or overripe pears. Pears can be peeled or not peeled. If using Bosc pears, I recommend peeling them. I have not made this cake with canned pears. Be sure to try my pear cookies recipe if you have some extra pears!
- Unsalted Butter: Use room temperature unsalted butter for the batter. Butter adds flavor. Use melted butter for the roasted pears and for the cinnamon sugar coating. We will also use butter for the cinnamon sugar coating.
- Oil: Use canola or vegetable oil. Oil adds to the moisture of the cake.
- Brown Sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar.
- Eggs: Use 3 large room temperature eggs.
- Buttermilk: Use room temperature buttermilk.
- Cocoa powder: Use Dutch processed or natural cocoa.
- Fall spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg add fall flavor. Cinnamon is delicious with cocoa powder! The cake is also coated with cinnamon sugar. For another yummy treat coated with cinnamon sugar, be sure to make my spiced apple cider cookies!
Please see recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
Instructions
Step 1: (Photo 1 above) Preheat oven to 400 F. Peel pears or leave the peel on. Core and chop the pears. Toss them with melted butter, sugar, vanilla and salt to coat. Spread them on a baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes, til edges of pears are lightly golden brown.
Step 2: (Photo 2 above) Once roasted, puree the pears and set them aside.
Step 3: (Photo 3 above). In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, oil and sugars with an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, vanilla, and buttermilk.
Step 4: (Photo 4 above). Beat the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
Step 5: (Photo 5 above) Spray a bundt pan with nonstick spray. Use a pastry brush to grease the pan well. Pour batter into the pan.
Step 6: (Photo 6 above) Bake at 325 F for 53-57 minutes. Next, set the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then invert onto a wire rack and allow to cool.
Step 7: (Photo 7 above) Brush the cooled cake allover with melted butter.
Step 8: (Photo 8 above) Mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Scoop up some of the cinnamon sugar. Press it with your hands allover the cake. This will be messy! Whisk the powdered sugar and milk together. Pour the icing into a cup and just drizzle it over the top in a circular motion around the cake.
Hint: Place your cake on a cake decorating turntable when coating it with cinnamon sugar. It’s not necessary but it makes it a little easier.
EXPERT TIPS
Tip #1: Grease your pan well! I spray my pan with Baker’s Joy. I use a pastry brush to make sure to cover the little nooks and folds.
Tip #2: Grease your pan right before using it. If you grease it then let it sit, the grease could start to slide down the pan as it sits.
Tip #3: Use a toothpick to check for doneness. You can also use your fingertip to gently press the top of the cake. If it springs back, it’s done!
Tip #4: If you have a cake decorating turntable, place the cake on it to ice the cake. Spin the turntable around as you tilt the cup filled with icing overtop.
If you use firm pears such as Bosc, peel them. If you’re using softer pears like Anjou, peeling them is optional.
You can use any type of pears, but I prefer to bake with Anjou pears. Bartlett pears (Williams) or Bosc also work. Make sure they are ripe or overripe.
Store pear chocolate cake in an airtight container such as a cake dome or cake carrier for 3 to 4 days at room temperature.
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Chocolate Pear Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Pear Cake
- 4 pears Cored and chopped into slices (about 3 cups chopped) Peel or leave peel on
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 ⅔ cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder Dutch processed or natural
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Icing
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk add milk one tablespoon of milk at a time until desired thickness achieved
Instructions
Chocolate Pear Cake
- Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the pears with the melted butter, vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons of sugar and a pinch of salt. . Spread the pears on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly then puree pears in a food processor or blender. I prefer to puree most of my pears. You can set aside about a half cup pear chunks, if you prefer to see some pears in the cake. Set aside. Reduce heat to 325 F.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, oil, and sugars until combined and creamy. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla. With a spatula, stir in the buttermilk and pears followed by the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.
- Spray a 10 cup bundt pan with a nonstick oil and flour spray such as Baker’s Joy. Spray in short strokes then use a pastry brush to brush the oil all around the pan. Be sure to coat all the nooks and crannies.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325 F for 53 to 57 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean or only with a few crumbs when inserted in the center or until cake springs back to the touch.
- Remove cake from oven. Immediately set a timer for 10 minutes. Allow cake to cool slightly in the pan for 10 minutes then invert pan Cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes then carefully invert cake onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Stir together the cinnamon and sugar and set nearby the cake. Brush the butter allover the cooled cake. Use your hands to scoop some of the cinnamon sugar and press and rub it into the cake evenly.
Icing
- Stir together the powdered sugar and milk. Start with three teaspoons and gradually add more until you reach desired thickness. Icing should be a little thinner than craft glue. If it's too thick, add a little more milk. If too thin, add 1 tbsp of powdered sugar at a time til thickened. Pour over your cooled bundt cake and enjoy!
Elizabeth Thomas
Can I replace the buttermilk with plant based?
Natalie
Hi Elizabeth, Unfortunately I haven’t made this cake with plant based milk, so I can’t say how it would turn out. Please let me know if you have any other questions. -Natalie
Barbara Briggs Ward
Adore pears! Mixed with chocolate-can only imagine how delicious this cake would taste!
Natalie
Thanks! It’s even more delicious as you can imagine!!