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Poached Pear Cake - Poached Pear with a Classic French Yogurt Cake

5 from 1 vote
A Beautiful Classic French Dessert
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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Keyword: French Pear Cake, French Poached Pear Cake, French Yogurt Cake, Poached Pear Cake

Ingredients

Poached Pears

  • 2 Fresh Pears
  • 2/3 Cups Sugar
  • 2 Cups Water
  • 1/2 Lemon - both Juice and Zest Be sure to zest lemon before you cut it in half, as it is difficult to zest a cut, half lemon
  • Pinch Salt
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick

Cake

  • 3/4 Cup Butter, Softened
  • 3/4 Cup Sugar
  • 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 3 Large Eggs - Room Temperature It is important in this recipe that the eggs be room temperature. If you are in a hurry, you can put the eggs in a bowl with quite warm water. This will bring them up to temperature quickly.
  • 1½ Cup Plain Whole Milk Greek Yogurt
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2¼ Cups All Purpose Flour Can substitute with Einkorn
  • 3 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Cardamom
  • Powdered Sugar for Dusting

Instructions

Poached Pears

  • In a smaller, shallow pan, add Sugar, Water, Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, Salt, and Cinnamon Stick. Bring to a simmer.
  • Peel Pears and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the stems, seeds, and cores.
  • Gently place prepared Pears in syrup. The syrup should almost cover the pears. Simmer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn pears over to cook other side. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
  • Remove pears to a plate and let cool.

Cake

  • Place rack in middle of the oven. Preheat to 350℉
  • Prepare a 9" springform pan by spraying generously with non stick spray.
  • Soften (not melt) Butter in the microwave. Add to a large mixing bowl. Add both the Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar to the butter. Using a hand mixer (or a whisk with some elbow grease), mix until light and fluffy and well combined, about 1-2 minutes
  • Add Eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • Gently stir in the Yogurt and Vanilla Extract. Stir until combined.
  • Add the Flour, Salt, Baking Powder, and Spices to the wet ingredients. Gently stir until just combined, taking care not to over mix as over mixing will make a tougher cake.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared springform pan. Use an offset spatula to level out the top.

Assemble

  • Prepare the Poached Pears by cutting them length wise in thin slices, taking care to NOT CUT ALL THE WAY THROUGH. You will leave the stem end of the pear in tact, which will act as the base of your "Pear Fan" when you fan the slices out on the top of the cake.
  • Arrange the pear halves on the top of the cake by fanning out the slices. Place the stem side of the pear toward the center of the cake and the fanned slices toward the edge. Do not press the Poached Pears into the batter, just gently set them on top.

Bake

  • Pop in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
  • Remove cake from oven. Leave in springform pan to cool. Once cooled, remove outer ring and place cake on serving tray.
  • Dust with Powdered Sugar. Slice and serve with homemade whipped cream or some lovely vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!