With its golden crust and elegant pear halves nestled on top, this Poached Pear and Almond Cake is a simple yet beautiful bake that feels both rustic and refined. The richness of the almonds gives the cake a tender, buttery crumb that melts in your mouth, while the pears bring a gentle sweetness and just a hint of fruitiness that balances everything perfectly. It’s the kind of cake that looks impressive but feels effortless, ideal for an afternoon treat or a relaxed dinner-party dessert.
The batter is full of ground almonds, giving the cake its lovely texture and delicate nutty flavour. As it bakes, the edges caramelise to a golden brown, forming a crisp exterior that contrasts the soft centre. The poached pears, arranged on top before baking, sink slightly into the almond base, turning extra soft and juicy while leaving a beautiful glossy finish. The aroma of almonds and baked fruit fills the kitchen, warm, inviting, and impossible to resist.
This Poached Pear and Almond Cake is just as delicious warm from the oven as it is served the next day, if not more so, once the flavours mature. It’s rich but not heavy, sweet but well balanced, a cake that celebrates the simple pairing of fruit and nuts in the most comforting way. Whether for afternoon tea or a special occasion, it’s a timeless classic that never disappoints.
For another pear recipe, see me Spiced Honey Scones with Roasted Pears or my other Cakes recipes.
5
20 minutes
40 minutes
1 hour

Ingredients

Poached Pears:
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp almond essence
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 3 small pears, peeled and cut into quarters
Cake:
  • 1/3 cup butter, heaped, very soft
  • 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • One egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup almond meal
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • Pinch salt

Method

Poached Pears:
  1. In a small saucepan, mix the sugar, water, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and almond essence and put on low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
  2. Add the pears and bring the mixture to a simmer
  3. Cook the pears 10-15 minutes until soft but still have some give, they'll cook more in the oven.
  4. Remove from the heat and let cool in the syrup until ready to use.
Cake:
  1. Preheat your oven to 160°C fan. Grease and line a 20 cm round cake tin.
  2. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, dark brown sugar, and honey together until light, creamy, and well combined. About 2–3 minutes.
  3. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix until smooth. The mixture may look slightly split at this stage; that’s normal with almond-based cakes.
  4. Add the almond meal, plain flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix gently until the batter is fully combined and no dry patches remain. The batter will be thick.
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and spread it evenly to the edges.
  6. Arrange your poached pear slices over the top of the batter. Let any excess liquid drip off first so the cake doesn’t become too wet.
  7. Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until the edges are golden and a skewer inserted comes out with moist crumbs (not wet batter).
  8. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes before transferring it to a rack. Brush the pears with some extra poaching liquid to add some extra shine.