Rustic Italian Pear Cake
Writer and Photographer Francine Coles
This elegantly rustic Italian pear cake embodies the gentle transition from Arizona’s scorching summers to cooler autumn evenings. Greek yogurt creates an impossibly tender crumb while chunks of perfectly ripe pears — Bosc or Bartlett varieties work beautifully — infuse each bite with seasonal sweetness. The cake’s restrained sugar content allows the pears’ natural essence to shine, making it equally at home gracing a sophisticated breakfast table or concluding an intimate dinner party.
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 3 large firm, ripe pears (Bosc or Bartlett), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
- Freshly whipped cream for serving (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 1/2-inch springform pan with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, whip sugar and eggs in a large bowl until the mixture achieves a pale, creamy texture — approximately 3 minutes.
- Gently fold in the yogurt, melted butter and vanilla extract using a spatula until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the pear pieces with care to avoid overmixing.
- Transfer batter to the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, cover with foil during the final 10 minutes.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before removing from pan. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving alongside dollops of freshly whipped cream.
For an elegant presentation, garnish with paper-thin pear slices dehydrated at 150 degrees until crisp — a process that may take several hours, depending on humidity levels.
