Pear Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pear Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – warmly spiced cake layers filled with poached pears and silky cream cheese frosting. A showstopper Thanksgiving dessert centerpiece that sure to impress!

Move over pumpkin pie — this year’s Thanksgiving dessert spotlight belongs to this spectacular Pear Cake. Juicy poached pears nestle between layers of tender spiced cake, tied together with silky cream cheese frosting and a drizzle of wine syrup. It’s a cake that feels elegant enough for the holiday table but still cozy and comforting thanks to those warm fall flavors.

Cakes using pears are often overlooked in favor of pumpkin and apple – let me rectify that! Poaching the pears in wine and spices infuses them with rich flavor and pairing them with warmly spiced sponge layers creates an stunning dessert that has been described “one of the best things I have EVER tasted” by my guests! Whether you’re baking for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or any autumn gathering, this pear cake is sure to impress.

What Is the Reverse Creaming Method?

This pear cake uses the reverse creaming method which turns the traditional way of mixing cake batter on its head. Instead of creaming butter and sugar, you start by mixing the dry ingredients with the butter. This coats the flour with fat, limiting gluten development to create a tender and moist crumb. Easier and faster than the usual creaming method – try it once and I am sure you will be converted!

Pear Cake Ingredients

Let’s take a look at the key ingredients for this spiced pear cake. You can prepare the poached pears and cake layers up to two days in advance if you are baking for a celebration. Frost and assemble on the day of serving.

For the Cake Layers

• All-purpose flour: With added baking powder and soda – make sure your ingredients are fresh!
• Brown sugar: Caramel sweetness that matches the pears.
• Warm spices: Ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves.
• Unsalted butter: The butter needs to be firm and cold so that it coats the flour grains without becoming greasy.
• Large eggs: Use room temperature eggs for a smooth batter.
• Whole milk: Ideally a warmed up a little until tepid.
• Crystallized ginger: Or stem ginger in syrup for extra bursts of warmth.

For the Frosting

• Cream cheese: Or mascarpone cheese at room temperature. Always use full-fat dairy ingredients when making frosting.
• Powdered sugar (icing sugar) – ideally sifted.
• Vanilla bean paste: for warmth and aroma or you can use stem ginger syrup.
• Heavy cream – Lightens the frosting and creates firm peaks.

For the Poached Pears

• Pears: Use just ripe, firm Bosc, Anjou, or Conference pears.
• Red wine and sugar – classic poaching liquid for color and sweetness. Use a fruity, medium-bodied red like Merlot, Shiraz, Zinfandel, or Pinot.
• Spices – cinnamon sticks, cardamom, star anise for fragrance.

How to Make My Pear Cake Step-by-Step

1. Measure the dry ingredients into your stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment or place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Mix (or pulse) on low speed to combine.
2. Add the cubed butter and beat or pulse for a couple of minutes until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

1. Gradually add the eggs and honey while mixing on medium speed. Stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl.
2. Add the milk and orange zest and whisk on medium speed, stopping the mixer to scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl as needed. Continue whisking for a couple of minutes at maximum speed until the batter is completely smooth.
3. Fold some of the chopped ginger into the batter, reserving a handful for topping, and divide between the cake pans. Bake for 50 minutes or until the cakes are springy to the touch, coming away from the tin edges and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Make the Frosting

1. Take the cream cheese or mascarpone out of the fridge and bring to room temperature. Place in the bowl of your stand mixer together with the powdered sugar, cream, cinnamon and vanilla paste (or use some of the stem ginger syrup).
2. Mix on low speed to combine the ingredients. Increase the speed to maximum and whisk until the frosting holds peaks, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula halfway through.

Assemble the Pear Cake

1. Spread the frosting over the cake, adding sliced pears and some of the syrup between the layers. Repeat until you have used all the layers.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Which wine is best for poaching? Use a medium dry red wine you’d happily drink – it doesn’t need to be super expensive but if it’s unpleasant in the glass, it won’t improve in the pan! Store leftover spiced wine syrup in the fridge for up to two weeks and use it to jazz up your fall cocktails or flavor your Champagne or sparkling wine.
• What type of pears should I use? Choose pears that are just ripe and still firm. Overripe pears will fall apart in the poaching liquid, while underripe ones may not absorb flavor as well. Bosc pears are the best choice for poaching as they are naturally firm and hold their shape beautifully.
• Storing pear cake: Store cake in an airtight container in a dark cool spot at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Freezing instructions: You can freeze the unfrosted cake layers for up to three months. Cover each in two layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil, stack and place in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature and decorate.