Spiced Pear Cake

Spiced Pears baked into a cake in a cast iron skillet.  This cake is simple to make, and delicious to eat!

This spiced pear cake is rustic, simple, delicious, and makes your house smell incredible.

Harry & David sent me a box of their juicy  Harry & David Royal Riviera Pears, and they want to send one of y’all a box, too! These pears are absolute perfection eaten as is, sliced with sharp cheddar and honey, or sliced and added to your favorite winter salads; however, I was craving something baked, something intrinsically southern, delicious, and soul satisfying.  

This spiced pear cake was just right.  The cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg complement the sweetness of the pears, and the dense cake made with vanilla and butter … YUM.  This reminds me of Sunday dinners and holidays at my grandparent’s house.   

I suppose one could dust it with powdered sugar to make it prettier, or turn it out of the skillet and serve it ‘upside down cake’ style, but I just scooped it out and ate it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and I must say – that was a little slice of perfection.

I could wax poetic about this cake, and those juicy pears, but I won’t.

I’ll just share the recipe with y’all, and then tell you how you can win a box of Harry & David Royal Riviera pears for yourself!  Tis the season for giving, and these pears make an incredible gift! You could even have these sent to your mom, dad, favorite teacher, neighbor, favorite blogger, best friend, preacher, mail person…….. 

Spiced Pear Cake

Rich and delicious cast iron baked spiced pear cake

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:45 minutes mins

Total Time:55 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 3 Royal Riviera Pears sliced thin
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 Tablespoons granulated white sugar plus 1/2 Cup granulated white sugar divided
• 1 1/2 Cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 Cup 1 stick butter melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Butter a large (10") cast iron skillet and set aside
• In a small bowl combine 3 Tablespoons white sugar with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
• Place sliced pears in a large bowl and toss with spiced sugar mixture; set aside.
• In a large bowl whisk together, flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a large bowl whisk together remaining 1/2 Cup white sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and eggs.
• Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine (I recommend a wooden spoon).
• Pour 1/2 the batter (very, very thick batter) into the skillet and spread it with a buttered spatula. In whatever design/pattern/haphazard manner you like - lay 1/2 the spiced pears on top of the batter in the skillet.
• Using a buttered spatula, spread the remaining 1/2 of the batter over the the pears in the skillet (don't worry if it's not an even layer)
• Top this with the rest of the spiced pears, and then pour the spiced pear juice mixture from the bowl all over the pears and batter.
• Bake anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes - this will vary depending upon your oven and your skillet. You want a toothpick or dry spaghetti noodle to come out with crumbs, but no batter.

Notes

Serve directly from skillet or turn upside down onto a cooling rack for an 'upside down pear cake' top with powdered sugar or ice cream.

Author: Rachel - A Southern Fairytale

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Thank you Harry & David for the wonderful box of Royal Riviera Pears, for providing one to one of my readers, and thank you for supporting A Southern Fairytale.