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Gluten-Free Pear and Almond Cake makes the most of this season’s fresh pears. Deliciously moist, delicately flavoured and easy to make. This pear cake recipe is made with your favourite gluten-free flour, ground almonds and needs no xanthan gum for a perfect structure and wonderful taste.
Our pear trees have been bountiful with fruit recently and unlike last year when we lost most of our pears to the wasps we don’t seem to have been plagued this year.
We have been enjoying our pears straight from the tree but we have also been living our best pear life making delicious pear crumbles, pear jam and of course – this lovely Almond Pear Cake.
I urge you to give this simple yet very flavourful gluten-free pear cake a try. It will be a great addition to your afternoon tea.
Jump to:
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Watch the video to see how to make it
- What pears do you use for baking?
- Do you peel pears for baking?
- Gluten-free flours required
- How to make your own almond meal
- Full list of ingredients needed
- Butter and olive oil?
- Sugar and maple syrup?
- How to make it
- Tips for best results
- Shop the recipe
- How to store
- How to freeze
- Other gluten-free cake recipes you’ll love!
- Gluten-Free Pear and Almond Cake
Why you’ll love this recipe
- If you love Old-Fashioned Pear Cake then this is a lovely homely version.
- Delicate pear flavour and lovely balanced almond taste.
- Deliciously moist pear cake.
- This great cake is so easy to make.
- Simple gluten-free cake with easy to find ingredients.
- No xanthan gum. READ MORE >>> Why I don’t bake with xanthan gum.
Watch the video to see how to make it
What pears do you use for baking?
I used the pears grown in my garden which I believe are Comice pears (that's what they look like when I googled it anyway).
However, you can use most varieties of pear. As long as you make sure that your pear is perfectly ripened – so not soft and squishy but relatively firm (You should be able to peel it easily).
Concord, Comice, Williams or Conference Pears all work well.
What to do with a lot of pears.. If you have been inundated with pears from yours or a friend's tree this year then I have a perfect recipe to help you make the most of your haul. This gorgeously sweet and fragrant Pear Jam. It's a really special jam which includes cobnuts (a bit like hazelnuts) for texture - you can make it with or without the nuts.
Do you peel pears for baking?
Yes, this recipe requires you to peel and core the pears. It gives a better texture and appearance to the cake.
Gluten-free flours required
This Gluten-Free Pear Cake is made with your favourite blend of gluten-free flour. It is a relatively forgiving recipe as the amount of ground almonds in the cake helps with the structure and texture.
Just make sure your blend has a good ratio of wholegrain to starchy flours – most branded gluten-free flours will work well.
I tested this recipe using Doves Farm Gluten-Free Plain White Flour and also my Gluten-Free Homemade Flour Blend. Both gave good results.
And by the way, you don’t need to add any xanthan gum but if your blend already contains it then that’s fine too.
Tapioca starch (flour) is also used to coat the diced pear which helps absorb any excess juice and keeps the pear suspended evenly throughout the cake. READ MORE >>> Ultimate Guide to Tapioca Starch
How to make your own almond meal
This recipe was tested with shop bought ground almonds as they are so easy. However, you can use homemade almond meal if you prefer.
The texture will be a little more nubbly if you make your own though, but it will have a more pronounced almond flavour.
You just need to swap the same amount of ground almonds used in the recipe for raw whole almonds, with skin is fine. It’s a 1:1 substitution.
I recommend grinding your almonds in a food processor with a couple of tablespoons of the amount of caster sugar used in the recipe. This will create a finer grind without the worry that you’ll start making almond butter.
Alternatively you could swap the ground almonds in the recipe for almond flour. However, the end result will be a little denser.
Full list of ingredients needed
- Fresh pears.
- Fresh lemon juice.
- Tapioca starch (tapioca flour).
- Ground almonds (almond meal).
- Gluten-free flour.
- Baking powder.
- Salt. I like kosher salt for baking.
- Ground nutmeg.
- Caster sugar.
- Unsalted butter.
- Olive oil.
- Maple syrup.
- Eggs. This recipe uses medium sized eggs (60g with shell).
- Vanilla extract.
- Almond extract (optional). You can add ¼ teaspoon almond extract if you enjoy a more pronounced almond flavour.
- Flaked almonds (sliced almonds).
Butter and olive oil?
We use butter and olive oil in this gluten-free pear cake. The butter is used at room temperature and creamed with the sugar to help with the structure and lightness of the bake. Plus we benefit from a lovely rich buttery flavour. The olive oil is used for extra added moisture.
Sugar and maple syrup?
Sugar helps with the structure of the cake and helps gives lightness by the creaming process with the butter. The maple syrup also adds moisture and a gorgeous flavour.
How to make it
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Peel, core and slice pear thinly, rest in lemon juice.
- Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl.
- Add eggs.
- Mix maple syrup, olive oil and vanilla in a jug.
- In a separate bowl mix the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients to the rest of the cake batter alternately to ensure even mixing.
- Drain pear slices from lemon juice and dice finely. Stir into tapioca starch to coat.
- Add diced pear to cake batter and mix in.
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 65-70 minutes.
Tips for best results
- All the ingredients should be at room temperature before beginning (yes, even the eggs) which allows everything to mix evenly together and create a fluffier cake.
- Fresh lemon juice stops the pears going brown whilst you are preparing the rest of the cake. I recommend slicing the pears and then resting in the lemon juice. When you are ready to add the pears then drain the pear slices from the lemon juice then dice finely.
- I recommend using baking spray to grease the tin as it’s perfect for getting a light amount of grease around the bottom of the pan and up the sides of the pan.
- You can make the cake using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a handheld electric beater.
- Allow the pear cake to cool completely before cutting into it as the crumb gets firmer as it cools.
Shop the recipe
How to store
This Fresh Pear Cake keeps well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
How to freeze
You can freeze the Pear Cake as soon as it has cooled. Double wrap in plastic wrap and aluminium foil to protect it well in the freezer.
Thaw at room temperature overnight before unwrapping. Allow to breathe for half an hour before serving.
Other gluten-free cake recipes you’ll love!
- Gluten-Free Apple Cake
- Gluten-Free Spice Cake
- Gluten-Free Fruit Cake
- Bramley Apple Fruit Cake
- Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle
- Gluten-Free Victoria Sponge
- Gluten-Free Cherry Cake
- Gluten-Free Banana Bread with Ground Almonds
- Rice Flour Madeira Cake
- Sticky Date Cake
- Gluten-Free Coffee and Walnut Cake
I urge you to give this Gluten-Free Pear and Almond Cake a try. If you do then please leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating which helps others find the recipe on Google. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own culinary creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.
Gluten-Free Pear and Almond Cake
Equipment
- 8x4” cake tin
Ingredients
- 2 pears - ripe, (about 450g)
- Juice ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch - tapioca flour
- 220 g ground almonds
- 220 g gluten-free flour *see notes
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 150 g caster sugar
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 4 eggs - medium
- 50 g olive oil
- 30 g maple syrup
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract - optional
- 30 g flaked almonds
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 170°C/ 150°C fan / gas mark 3.
- Place a round of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan and lightly grease with baking spray.
- Peel, core and slice the pears very finely. Place in lemon juice whilst you prepare the cake batter.
- Cream the butter and sugar on a medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Break the eggs into a large measuring jug and add into the butter and sugar one at a time and beat until well combined.
- Pour the maple syrup, olive oil and vanilla extract into a measuring jug.
- Whisk the gluten-free flour, ground almonds, baking powder, nutmeg and salt together in separate mixing bowl.
- Add the flour mixture into the rest of the ingredients, alternately with the liquid ingredients, adding the flour in three additions and the wet in two (begin and end with the flour), scrape down the sides of the bowls as needed and mix until just combined.
- Drain the sliced pear from the lemon juice, and dice finely. Toss the diced pear in the tapioca flour until the flour has been absorbed then mix the pear into the rest of the cake batter until evenly dispersed.
- Pour into the tin smooth the top of the cake and scatter the flaked almonds over the top of the cake.
- Bake for 65-70 minutes or until an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave to settle for 5 minutes in its tin, slide a palette knife around the edges to loosen, then turn out onto a wire rack.
- Leave to cool completely before serving.
Video
Notes
- Your pears should be perfectly ripe – not too soft and not too hard.
- Concord, Comice, Williams or Conference Pears all work well.
- This cake uses medium sized eggs which are 60g each with shell, 50g without shell.
- You can swap the ground almonds for homemade almond meal or almond flour.
- This cake works with your favourite gluten-free flour blend. The recipe was tested with Doves Farm Gluten-Free Plain White Flour and my Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend.
- Allow the pear cake to cool completely before cutting into it as the crumb gets firmer as it cools.
How to store
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.How to freeze
Cool completely then double wrap in plastic wrap and aluminium foil to protect it well in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature overnight before unwrapping. Allow to breathe for half an hour before serving.Ingredient measurements
- Please note when you see ‘grams’ listed as opposed to ‘millilitres,’ or any other term of measurement, that is not incorrect. I weigh all of my ingredients, including liquids, for accuracy.
- US customary measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups
F says
Great recipe, thank you so much. Made a great cake enjoyed by all.
I couldn't find tapioca starch and so substituted with a little gluten free flour, seemed to work fine too.
With thanks and best wishes
Georgina Hartley says
That's great to hear - I'm happy you enjoyed the cake!
Susan says
I am puzzled by the flaked almonds being baked for over an hour. As they toast in about 7 minutes on a sheet pan, I'm afraid they will get burnt. What's the secret?
Georgina Hartley says
There is no secret, the almonds won't burn as the cake batter protects them. When they are baked on a sheet pan they are on a direct heat source which is why they toast very quickly.
Christine says
As ever, utterly delicious, being an Irish cook I love your recipes, am always inspired, reminded of childhood treats and consider you THE BEST gluten free baker bar none. Wishing you and yours a wonderful 2023.
Georgina Hartley says
That's so lovely to hear - thank you and happy new year!
Moyra says
Thank you for all your recipes.
This pear and almond cake looks delicious. As there are only two of us, is it possible to make smaller cakes or muffins (cup cakes) with this recipe? If so, how long should they be baked?
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Moyra, yes it's absolutely possible. I haven't tried this recipe in a smaller amount so I can't confirm the baking times. However, have you considered baking the recipe as it is and freezing the leftovers for another day? Since I had to make this recipe a few times for testing it I have done exactly that. I have frozen it in slices - and it is great for days when you fancy cake but don't feel like baking.