I had bookmarked this apple cake recipe long back and didn't get a chance to try it until last week. As usual Taste of Home's recipe didn't fail me. Since I have baked a lot of apple cakes, I decided to substitute it with pears and the result was total yumminess. This is my first try baking a pear cake and it turned out so good that even my husband who usually stays away from sweets kept asking for seconds and thirds. When I tasted the batter I felt it was over the top sweet but after baking the cake did not taste very sweet. It was sweeter than some of the recipes I have here but definitely good. So for me this is more of a dessert cake than a snack cake.
The original recipe calls for butter which I have replaced with a vegan vegetable oil spread. Other than that I have not made any changes in the recipe. Another change I have made is using a different pan instead of a fluted tube pan mentioned in the recipe. I used a mini bundt pan with 6 inserts. I had one more batter left over after filling that pan, which was enough to make about 7 mini muffins. I think you could also use a 9x13 inch pan instead. If baking as muffins, the batter should be enough to make about 18-20 muffins.
Reading the recipe I knew that the cake would be a very big one which would be way more than our family could eat and that's why I decided to bake it as mini bundt cakes so that I can share it with some of my friends without cutting it and making a mess. So you could also try baking it as mini loaves and it would make perfect gifts. Make sure to check the baking time according to the pan you use.
Vegan Pear Cake Recipe |
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Makes |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Mins | 40 Mins | 10 inch fluted tube pan |
| Author | Category | Method |
| Madhuram | Cakes | Baking |
- 4 cups (about 2 large pears) Diced Pear
- 2 cups Golden Raisins
- 2 cups Unsweetened Apple Juice
- 1 and 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
- 6 tablespoons (I used Becel Vegan Spread) Butter/Margarine
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 3 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)
- In a large saucepan, bring the first 7 ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes uncovered. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350F/180C for 15 minutes. Lightly grease the pan with non stick cooking spray. I used a mini bundt pan (with 6 inserts). Greased it with shortening first and sprinkled some all purpose flour and tap off the excess.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda and walnuts. Fold in the pear mixture. Transfer batter to the prepared pan.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Mine was done by 38 minutes.
- Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing the cakes from the pan.
- As mentioned above, this pear cake recipe can be baked in a couple of different pans. So the time I have mentioned in the procedure will not stand good if you choose a different pan size. Check for the doneness of the cake accordingly.
- I did not peel the pears. Diced it with the skin.
- Walnuts was not mentioned in the original recipe but I used it and I would definitely suggest using either that or pecans.
- If you are a spice fan you could also use some ground clove.
Hi. I just tried the recipe. I found the mixture to be quite doughy when I put it in the pan. I really hope it turns out well.
Hmm…I don’t remember how the consistency was. But assuming that it would have been thick considering the quantity of pear used. You could have added some more water/milk if it was very dense.
[…] pear cake meets my needs for warming spice and all-natural ingredients as does this pear and almond tart. […]
I am looking for a healthier version of this cake. Can I substitute whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour?
Yes you may. But start with replacing half the quantity first and then increase gradually.
Very nice cake. Spicy and moist!
Thanks Natasha
I just made this with apples and halved the recipe.used pineapple juice.
That’s great Kamalini.
Hi! I am looking for a vegan sugarless pear cake for my baby’s 1st Birthday. Can I substitute pear sauce for the sugar? Would I need to do any other changes to the recipe If I can do the pear sauce instead of sugar?
I’m not sure about that Charity. Maybe you can try pureed banana instead so that it will give the cake at least a little sweetness.
Hi,
Recipe looks great – what if fresh pears are not in season. Is it OK to substitute with canned diced pears?
I would guess so, Gen. You could try it after draining the liquid and use that liquid instead of the apple juice. I think you would need to cut back on the sugar if using the liquid.
I would like to make this using fresh apple juice from my juicer at home. will that work or will it be too sweet?
That should not be a problem Priya.
I had to have a vegan dessert for a party I had last night, and this cake was a hit! Everyone, vegan or not, loved it. And I had the few leftovers for breakfast.
Thanks Anne.
Hi, before trying this I just wanted to make sure that it is apple juice, not apple sauce in the ingredients? I’m asking because I have seen in some other recipes “unsweetened apple sauce” but not “unsweetened apple juice”.
Thanks
Hi Matt, it is unsweetned apple juice in this particular recipe.
Thanks for the clarification!
Hi, If I use almond meal or almond flour – will the recipe work? and do I need to add baking soda still? I have wheat allergies. Thanks.
I don’t think it will work, Tricia. I guess gluten free baking needs either eggs or xanthan gum.
Hi Madhuram,
Tried this recipe cake came out well and extremely moist. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I enjoy baking and we don’t eat eggs. Your blog and egg free recipes are very encouraging. Thanks.
You’re welcome Shanthi. I sincerely appreciate your feedback. It would be nice if you could rate the recipe too. Thanks.
Well this is my 1st Eggless anything. It’s my son-in-law’s birthday & he is a Vegan. Did a little googling for eggless & up came yoru site. Recipe looks absolutely delightful & comments are excellent too. But… please tell me… there are many types of pears (Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc, Seckle, etc) any particular type? I’m assuming not. Also – they should be ripe yes? Thanks much from a beginner.
Welcome to my blog Jenn. I used to live in Phoenixville, PA. As long as the pear is ripe you should be fine using any type. I used Bartlett. You could use apples too, because the original recipe was for an eggless apple cake.
You are most welcome & thank you Madhuram. Ahhh — Phoenixville has really come into it’s own now. Wonderful restaurants and has it’s own special vibe.
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. I’m very excited about making this cake & I did read about the apples. Thanks also for mentioning your choice of pears.
I know I’ll be back for more recipes & most definitely will leave a comment on your blog after I make in August. I’m planning ahead.
Jenn
You’re welocme Jen. Please feel free to ask questions if any about baking egg free.
I tried this recipe and it came out very well. I added Goji berries instead of Raisins (I was running out of it :)). It is very moist and tastes really good. Thanks for the lovely recipe.
Cheers,
HN
You’re welcome HN.
what is cinnamon and cardamon? actually i want to knw the hindi version of oi
Check this table: http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/glosss1.html
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Please accept it.
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Lovely cake. I tried it out and came out very well.
Please check out my blog of he version i tried. I added green tee
since i did not have apple juice. Lovely recipe.Thanks.
That’s was pretty fast Archana. Thanks for trying it.
Hey Madhu
I would love to bake this in mini loaf pans
Any suggestions when i should check for doneness ???
Thanks
– Rupa
I think you can start checking for doneness after about 18-20 minutes and the same holds good for muffins too.
Lovely cake Madhu !
Isnt 2 cups of raisins too much ?????
Can i replace pears with apples (if so which is the best baking apples)
thanks….love your recipes and grateful to you for sharing them.
luv
– Rupa
This is a big cake Rupa. So 2 cups is not too much. As I have mentioned in the post, this is more of a “dessert” cake, so its on the sweeter side. Maybe you can reduce the quantity of brown sugar. Also the original recipe is for an apple cake and I have used pears instead. My guess is you could use any apple, as far as it is sweet because we are not going to keep the shape of the apples intact like in the case of a pie.
Thank you for the quick response !!
Absolutely delicious and gorgeous looking cake.
Very tempting!!!!
Vegan pear cake looks simply delicious and gorgeous..
Yummy recipe!!! Loved every bit of it. 🙂
hmmmm…. thats a recipe Madhu…how u doing? Been a while since we spoke… take care…:)) – Bhuvana
Sounds delicious…