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Pear, Almond and Vanilla Cake

A light, moist almond and vanilla sponge, topped with a layer of softly cooked pears, finished with vanilla icing and roast almonds, this delectable Pear, Almond and Vanilla Cake is incredibly easy to make and ridiculously good to eat.

Course afternoon tea, Breakfast, brunch, Dessert, Morning Coffee
Keyword Almonds, pears, vanilla
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

Dry ingredients –

  • 130g ground almonds
  • 50g plain/all-purpose flour
  • 125g caster sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt

Wet ingredients –

  • 100g unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 – 3 fresh pears

To decorate –

  • 100g icing sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 25g flaked almonds

Instructions

  1. Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to fan oven 160°C /180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and line a 20cm/8in round cake tin lined with baking parchment or use a cake tin liner.

  3. Weigh the flaked almonds for the topping onto a baking sheet and cook in a preheated oven for 3 – 5 minutes, until lightly browned, and set aside.

  4. Make the cake: weigh the butter into a microwave safe bowl or jug and blitz, in 15 second increments, to melt. Alternatively, melt in a saucepan on the hob. Set aside to cool.

  5. Weigh all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl – the ground almonds, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well.

  6. Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter. Beat to mix.

  7. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold to mix.

  8. Tip into a lined cake tin and level the surface.

  9. Peel and quarter the pears, remove the core and slice each quarter.

  10. Lay the pear slices evenly on the cake batter.

  11. Bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven for 45 – 50 minutes or until the cake is cooked and the pears are soft.

  12. Remove from the oven and after 10 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack. I leave mine in the baking parchment. Set aside to cool.

  13. Now prepare the topping: gradually add the vanilla and milk to the icing sugar until it is smooth and reaches pouring consistency.

  14. Use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the cake.

  15. Scatter the roast almonds over the cake and serve.

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

  • baking tray
  • Kitchen scales and measuring spoons
  • Mixing bowls
  • Balloon whisk
  • Chopping board and knife
  • 20cm/8in round cake tin, lined with baking parchment, or a cake tin liner

What is the best way to serve this cake?

This cake is as delicious served simply with a cup of tea or coffee as it is when served with cream or ice cream for dessert. Or, why not serve it with natural yoghurt and fresh fruit for breakfast? 3 cakes in 1 – how fabulous! 

Where is this recipe from?

This recipe is adapted from the Almond and Pistachio Cake with Pears and Lemon that I posted a few months ago. This cake, in turn, was slightly adapted from a recipe from a fabulous blog I follow, called The Brick Kitchen, or on insta as @claudiabrick. The original recipe is topped with apricots, and these would also work wonderfully well in this recipe.