Pear Crumble Cake

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 55

Servings: servings

Calories: 345kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Simple soft, spiced cake made with fresh pears and a brown sugar crumble on top

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Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cake

2 eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar packed
⅓ cup vegetable oil or neutral tasting oil of your choice
⅓ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour sifted or fluffed (see notes)
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 fresh pears

For the Dutch Crumble

⅔ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour cake pan, or line with parchment paper and set aside.
This will be a very soft and moist cake that is prone to sticking, so I recommend lining with parchment and creating “handles” to make it easier to remove intact. (See process pictures in blog post.) Alternatively, you can serve it from the pan.
Make the Cake Batter: In a large mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, sugars, oil, milk, and vanilla extract until uniform.
2 eggs, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, ⅓ cup milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, leavening agents, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger.
Grate the pears into a smaller bowl, then fold them into the flour mixture.
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, 2 fresh pears
Combine the wet and dry mixtures, and stir until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl, as necessary. Do not overmix the batter.
Make the Crumble: In another bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt until the crumb topping comes together in clumps. It should have a coarse, gravely appearance.
⅔ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaaspoon fine sea salt
Assemble and Bake the Cake: Spread the cake batter into prepared pan, then sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over top and lightly tap it into the batter.
Use a feather-light hand–don’t press the crumble down so that it sinks!
Transfer the pan into the oven to bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan for at least 30 minutes, then remove, slice, and serve warm.

Notes

How to Measure Flour

Flour tends to get compacted, which can lead to too much flour in your baked good and result in a denser or drier texture than desired. To avoid this, it's important to sift the flour before measuring it. This can be accomplished by running the flour through a sifter or mesh sieve or fluffing the flour in its original container, then using a small measuring cup to scoop the flour into the size measuring cup you need (example: using a half-cup to scoop flour into a one-cup), then leveling off the excess with a knife or leveler.

Modifications

Canned Pears are much softer than fresh, and they usually hold more liquid, so if you plan on making this with canned pears, drain them well. They won't hold up to grating, so I recommend mashing them with the back of a kitchen spoon into a chunky puree, then incorporating into the cake batter.

You can bake this cake in a square or loaf pan. Just note that the baking times may vary, with the loaf typically taking slightly longer to bake.

Make this cake vegan by using dairy-free milk and a plant-based butter alternative for the crumble.

Storage

Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator for up to six days. I recommend placing a sheet of paper towel inside the container to absorb any moisture the cake releases and reduce the potential for condensation or mold.

To freeze, cool the cake to room temperature, then wrap it in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Transfer to the freezer, where it will keep for up to one year.

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