My Mom’s Pear Cake

c) Robin Grose

Robin: When they lived on a tiny-but-lovely Royer Lake in northeast Indiana, Mom and Dad had their very own pear tree. Some years the harvest was huge, others not so much. When the supply was abundant, Mom would find creative ways to take full advantage of the delicious fruit, using pears in salads, desserts, and even as a “condiment” (pear sauce instead of syrup on pancakes, anyone?) Joy’s pear pie may have become a little more famous among friends and relatives, but my favorite was her pear cake.

Mom came up with this recipe herself, perhaps adapting it from one for apple cake. It’s extremely easy to make—you don’t have to peel the pears or even get out the electric mixer—so it’s a great option for a novice cook. The result is a very satisfying homey, comfort-foody “everyday” cake. It needs no icing because it is sweet and naturally moist due to the little chunks of fruit. Enjoy it plain, like I do, or with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped topping as Mom usually did.

A note about the ingredients: When I make this cake, I like to replace half of the all-purpose white flour with whole wheat flour. This gives the finished product a slightly more rustic feel and increased fiber and nutrient content. I often swap out the walnuts and use pecans, just because I more often have pecans on hand. (Some day I’d like to try it with pistachios.) As for the vanilla, Mom always used high quality genuine vanilla essence, usually that which she brought back with her from trips across the border of South Texas into Mexico—none of that “imitation vanilla essence” nonsense for her! I recommend that you do the same, not only in this recipe, but whenever you want something especially tasty. Heck, simply the aroma from an open bottle of good quality vanilla is worth any and all trouble you go to in procuring it!

Tip: If you have an overabundance of very ripe pears, chop them up, measure 4 cups’ worth into a zip-top bag, and freeze them. When you want to make this cake weeks or months in the future, just thaw and use your pre-measured pears.

Other great recipes I got from my mom:

• Joy’s Dill Dip
• Zucchini Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Joy’s Pear Cake

My mother, Joy, enjoyed this moist, easy-to-make cake with whipped topping or a la mode; I love it plain.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, pear

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 440 kcal

Author Robin Grose / comboplate.net

Ingredients

• 4 large ripe pears such as Bartlett
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canola or other vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon good quality vanilla essence
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions

1. Turn your oven on to 350F (175C) so it can preheat while you do the rest.

2. Wash the pears, then chop them into pieces about half an inch in size or slightly larger (no need to peel them). Discard stems and cores. You should have about 4 cups of chopped pears. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. 
4. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, and vanilla.
5. Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the flour and stir with a spoon or rubber scraper. (If the batter looks dry, don`t worry, the pears will provide plenty of moisture as they bake.)
6. Add the chopped pears and nuts and stir until well combined.
7. Pour the batter into a 9 x 13” (about 23 x 33 cm) glass or metal baking pan—no need to grease the pan.
8. Bake for about an hour, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before cutting into rectangles to serve. Store leftovers in the fridge.