Moist Pear and Spice Bundt Cake

This Pear Bundt Cake is incredibly moist, soft, and full of sweet, juicy chunks of baked pear with warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in every bite. Made with melted butter, sour cream, and a little oil, it has a beautifully tender crumb and just the right amount of spice without overpowering the pears. I adapted this recipe from my apple cake, keeping everything I love about a moist, buttery Bundt while letting the fresh pears shine. It's the kind of simple cake that doesn't need frosting, making it perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or dessert. Just add a cup of tea!

When developing this Pear Bundt Cake, I started with my Apple Bundt Cake and adjusted the recipe to let the pears take center stage. I love using butter for its rich flavor and a little oil to help lock in moisture, while sour cream is my secret weapon for creating a beautifully soft, tender cake crumb. I chose to chop the pears rather than grate them because I wanted little bites of sweet, baked pear throughout the cake. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves add a cozy warmth without overpowering the fruit. And unlike some of my other Bundt cakes, I intentionally skipped the frosting.

While I do love layer cakes, making one layer that serves a crowd is just easier. Bundt cake recipes are perfect for parties or a snacking cake to last you all week!

Pears, Spice & Everything Nice!

• Fresh Pears: I chop the pears into small pieces because I want to taste those sweet, tender bites of baked pear throughout the cake. Choose ripe but still firm pears so they're easy to chop.
• Melted Butter & Vegetable Oil: Butter brings that rich, delicious flavor, while oil helps lock in moisture so the cake stays soft and tender.
• Sour Cream: This is my moisture bomb! I love using sour cream in cakes because it creates an incredibly moist, tender crumb.
• Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Cloves: I wanted a warm, cozy spice blend that complemented the pears rather than overpowering their delicate flavor.
• Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to balance the warm spices and fresh pears.

If you like you can dust the cake with powdered sugar. Even adding half a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the cake batter would be delicious.

For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.

Batter + Pears + Warm Spices = Cake Magic

Serve with a dusting of confectioner's sugar if desired. Don't miss all of my bundt cake recipes.

Let's Make This Bundt a Beauty!

• Choose ripe but firm pears. I like using pears that are ripe enough to have a lovely sweet flavor but still firm enough to chop easily. I cut them into small pieces because I want little bites of sweet, baked pear throughout the cake rather than having the fruit disappear into the batter.
• Don't skip the sour cream! I always say sour cream is a moisture bomb when it comes to baking. Combined with the melted butter and oil, it helps create that beautifully soft, tender cake crumb. The butter brings flavor, while the oil helps keep everything moist.
• Let the pears shine. When developing this recipe, I wanted the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to add warmth without overpowering the delicate flavor of the pears. You should still be able to taste those sweet pieces of baked fruit in every bite!
• Grease that Bundt pan thoroughly! I always use Baker's Joy baking spray when making Bundt cakes. It's my favorite way to get into every little nook and cranny of the pan so the cake releases cleanly. There's nothing worse than baking a beautiful Bundt cake only to have half of it stick!
• Keep an eye on the baking time. Not all Bundt pans are shaped the same, and a wider pan may bake faster than a taller, narrower one. Start checking your cake toward the beginning of the recommended baking window and avoid overbaking it.
• Let the cake cool before turning it out. Give the cake the recommended 10 minutes to cool in the pan before carefully inverting it onto a cooling rack. This helps the cake hold together as you remove it from the pan.

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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Recipe Card

Moist Pear and Spice Bundt Cake

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This Pear Bundt Cake is incredibly moist, soft, and full of sweet, juicy chunks of baked pear with warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in every bite. Made with melted butter, sour cream, and a little oil, it has a beautifully tender crumb and just the right amount of spice without overpowering the pears. I adapted this recipe from my apple cake, keeping everything I love about a moist, buttery Bundt while letting the fresh pears shine. It's the kind of simple cake that doesn't need frosting, making it perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or dessert. Just add a cup of tea!

• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 10-12 Slices 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 375 grams (3 Cups) All-Purpose Flour/ Plain Flour 
• 1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• ½ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• ½ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 8oz (1 Cup) Unsalted Butter, melted 
• 2oz (¼ Cup) Vegetable Oil 
• 350 grams (1 ¾ Cups) Granulated Sugar 
• 4oz (½ Cup) Sour Cream, at room temperature
• 3 Large Eggs, at room temperature
• 315 grams (2 Medium-Large) Pears, chopped into small chunks

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 10-cup bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
3. In another large bowl whisk together the melted butter, vegetable oil, sugar, sour cream, and eggs. Make sure to whisk until fully combined. 
4. Add the dry ingredients and pears to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, over mixing can create a tough cake. 
5. Pour the pear cake batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Depending on the shape of your bundt pan your cake may be wider or taller, a wider cake pan will bake quicker than a taller bundt pan. Let cool in cake pan for 10 minutes then invert into a wire rack. Serve with a dusting of confectioner's sugar if desired. 

Equipment

Cordless Hand Mixer

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Nordic Ware Brilliance Bundt Pan

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OXO Kitchen Scale

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Notes

Freezing: You can totally freeze the pear bundt cake. To freeze the cake let it cool completely then wrap in plastic wrap, tightly, then wrap it again. This helps avoid any freezer burn. Let the cake thaw on the counter overnight. You can also freeze individual slices of cake the same way. Wrap in plastic wrap tightly, twice, then store in a freezer-safe container like a plastic bag. To thaw let a slice sit on the counter at room temperature for a couple of hours.

• Author: Elizabeth Waterson
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 60
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

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