Easy Italian Pear Cake Recipe (Torta di Pere)
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Easy Italian Pear Cake Recipe (Torta di Pere), a simple moist dessert, breakfast or served as an afternoon tea cake. Made with creamy yogurt, luscious butter, and fresh pears this cake will soon become a family favorite!
You will also love these easy and simple cakes Chocolate Torte, Simple Italian Apple Cake (one bowl), Italian Crumble Cake Pastry Cream Filling, and my panettone recipe.
Why I love this Italian Pear Cake
Italian desserts are made with simple ingredients. They aren’t too sweet and make the perfect treat without the guilt. You will rarely see frosting or ice cream served with any true Italian cake. No judgments if you add them to this cake!
At most, there is a dusting of powdered sugar or cacao and a dollop of freshly whipped cream. This cake is fluffy, lightly sweetened, and sure to satisfy any sweet tooth craving. It is a simple and moist dessert that can’t be beaten!
Try pairing this with our creamy vanilla sauce or strawberry sauce!
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients
I recommend using the best quality ingredients for this super simple cake.
- Fresh pears, (I find the best pears are Bosc pears, Anjou pears, or Barlett pears)
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder (not baking soda!)
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Whole milk yogurt
- Melted butter
- Eggs, room temperature
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- freshly whipped heavy cream, if desired
See the recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Pear Cake
If you want step-by-step photos for this fresh pear cake recipe.
A few key steps make this easy Italian pear cake recipe stand out from the rest!
- The first step in this cake recipe is whipping the eggs and sugar until a thick creamy consistency. I do this with an electric or stand mixer. This step creates a light and airy texture in the final product.
- Next, the melted (and cooled) butter adds a luxurious richness to the cake.
- Finally, the yogurt. You will find many Italian cakes with yogurt. When adding yogurt to cakes it adds an extra soft component without weighing it down too much. As a result, yogurt adds moisture and fat in the cake batter, making the cake extra moist. A cake baked with yogurt is never dry. It’s always so soft, moist, and absolutely delicious.
Here is the round 9″ spring form pan I love! BUY THIS ONE .
Variations
The first time you make this recipe try the original recipe! The next time you make it you can try one of these variations.
Cake variations
- Gluten-Free Option – If you are making this simple Italian apple cake gluten-free you can use this flour and it will turn out delicious!
- Low-fat yogurt – low-fat dairy products are often filled with “junk” to stabilize the texture. As long as the brand of non-fat yogurt doesn’t have any fillers it will work fine. One brand I recommend is Chobani nonfat yogurt as an alternative.
- Brown sugar – I love the idea of doing half-brown sugar and white sugar to add a little extra richness. I’ve tried this and it changes the taste a bit, but I like it!
- Sour Cream – you can substitute the same amount of sour cream for yogurt in this recipe.
- Warm Spices – This cake is simple and pure without the addition of any spices (I prefer it this way). If you like try adding cinnamon, cardamon, or allspice.
- Lemon juice – add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to add a zing to the cake and complement the sweetness of the pears.
- Vegetable oil – You can add vegetable oil or any mild flavored oil in place of the butter in this pear cake recipe. You will still achieve a tender crumb. The oil makes the cake a little less dense and airier than when it is made with only butter. I’ve made it both ways and love them both equally!
You will also love these cake recipes: orange olive oil cake, Moist Chocolate Olive Oil Cake, Easy Carrot Cake Recipe, Best Ricotta Cake, and Easy Lemon Yogurt Loaf Cake.
Serving variations
- Try this delicious cake with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.
- Add caramel sauce for an extra indulgent twist.
- Make a light cream cheese frosting and spread it over the cooled cake.
- If you want to decorate the cake by adding extra pear slices in a pattern on top of the cake for a pretty presentation.
Any way you make or serve this easy pear cake recipe it is one that everyone is sure to love.
I would recommend fresh pears but if canned pears are what’s available to you then you can absolutely use those instead. Make sure you drain them well as adding extra liquid to baking proportions can throw off the texture or cooking time of the final product.
I like to use a springform pan so it is easy to remove the cake from the pan. You can use a regular 9.5/10-inch round pan as well.
I find the best pears are Bosc pears, Anjou pears, or Barlett pears.
Pears do not need to be peeled before baking or adding to this cake but you can if that is your preference.
What does yogurt do in a cake? Yogurt adds moisture and fat to a cake batter, making the cake moist. A cake baked with yogurt is never dry. It’s always so soft, moist, and absolutely delicious. Another bonus to adding yogurt to cakes is the acidity of the yogurt works with the baking powder to leaven the cake and make it extra tall and super fluffy. You don’t taste the yogurt at all! It simply serves as a secret weapon to add moistness and help your cake rise. Adding yogurt to this cake makes it an extra moist and great recipe!
Storage Instructions
This cake is so delicious that I doubt it will last very long in your house. But, if it does, the best way to store it is on a plate with a covering or in a storage container with a lid at room temperature (checking every day for any signs of mold) or in the fridge.
How to serve Italian pear cake
A little dollop of freshly whipped cream goes a long way and adds the perfect touch. In Italy, we don’t serve whipped cream with cake, but I thought…why not!
After just one bite you’ll be surprised how distinct the flavors are in this pear cake. We love its soft, tender texture, and the chunks of fresh, sweet pear. It’s a cake that will keep you wanting more!
Made with Amore, Elena
Cake pan recommendation
I like to use a springform pan so it is easy to take out the cake. You can use a regular 9.5/10-inch round pan as well. Make sure to let the cake cool completely after baking and before slicing.
It is worth the wait to let the cake set! This cake is even better the next day.
More Delicious Desserts for YOU
Traditional Italian Tiramisù (no alcohol)
Sweet Focaccia with Raspberries and Balsamic Glaze
Easy Almond Sponge Cake with Italian Cream
💙 MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💙 Please leave a ⭐️STAR rating and COMMENT below- I love connecting with you! Tag me with your creations on Instagram and find me on Pinterest.
Italian Pear Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large firm ripe pears, or 4 small (Bosc or Barlett), peeled and cut into pieces
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, 240 g
- 3 teaspoons baking powder, 14 g
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar, 200 g
- 1 cup whole milk yogurt
- ½ cup butter, 113 g, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2g
- Confectioner sugar for dusting
- freshly whipped heavy cream, if desired
Instructions
- Line a 9.5-inch round baking pan (springform pan or bundt pan) with parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, whip the sugar and eggs until you obtain a creamy and fluffy texture. You can also use a stand mixer with a large bowl.
- Stir in the yogurt, butter, and vanilla extract. Use a fork or spatula to combine until smooth (not the electric mixer).
- In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stir gently until well combined. Add the pears and mix gently. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If the cake starts to brown too much on the top tent the top with foil during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Before serving dust the cake with confectioner sugar. If desired, serve with freshly whipped cream, or ice cream.
Notes
- I like to use a springform pan
- TOP TIP: Use room temperature ingredients. This will make the cake tall and fluffy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This pear 🍐 cake is to die for! My family who isn’t a big fan of pears, but I am loved it! Unfortunately, it didn’t last long in my house only a few hours, so I must make another one lol!! it was simple to make, I love all of Elena’s recipes, she’s the best! Oh! And go try her Italian hot chocolate😋😋😋😋 it’s amazing and her orange 🍊 cake!! I make that on repeat!
This made me smile so much 🤍 I love that even the non-pear lovers were convinced—that’s always the biggest win! And only lasting a few hours sounds about right… I think another one is definitely needed 😉
Thank you for baking so many of my recipes and for your sweet words. The Italian hot chocolate and orange cake on repeat sounds like my kind of kitchen! Grazie for being here and cooking along with me 💛🍐
how much butter sugar yoghurt?
Please see the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with the full ingredients and instructions. Enjoy!
We loved this pear cake. I followed the recipe with the exception of using freshly milled grains, mix of soft white wheat and spelt. I did add cream cheese icing to it, but would also have been great without.
I love your addition and twist of adding the icing. Sounds yummy! So happy you loved the cake!
Delicious! Have made this 4 times now and it has become a great family favourite. It’s moist and delicious and not too sweet. Thank you x
Yay! I am so happy that this is now a family favorite. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. I hope you enjoy all the other recipes!
This is a real hit with our friends and family. I have been gluten-free for 10+years and this is a great recipe and GF flour is easily substituted. Nobody notices.
Yay! So happy everyone loved it and you were able to make it gluten-free 🙂
Pulled it out of the oven after 50 minutes and toothpick looked clean, cake fell in the middle while cooling and it is not cooked in the center. Where did I go wrong? The parts that were cooked are delicious.
I’m so glad to hear the parts that baked through tasted delicious. When a cake falls in the center and ends up underbaked, it’s usually just a small baking issue and easy to fix next time.
A few things can cause this:
• Oven temperature – some ovens run cool, so the center may need a little longer. If the middle is still soft, bake another 5–10 minutes and test again.
• Room temperature ingredients – eggs, yogurt, and other ingredients should be at room temperature so the batter mixes evenly and bakes properly.
• Opening the oven too early – this can cause the center to sink before it fully sets.
• Pan size or very juicy pears – extra moisture can slightly extend the baking time.
Every oven is a little different, so don’t hesitate to give it those extra few minutes until the center feels set.
I’m happy you enjoyed the flavor, and I’m confident the next one will come out perfectly. Let me know how your next bake turns out 🤍🍐
Are you able to use greek yogurt as a substitute?
Yes, that will work great!
Are you able to use greek yogurt as a substitute?
This delicious cake is moist with a nice texture and has a delicate pear flavor. The instructions were perfectly clear and easy to follow. It’s half gone in less than a day! I’m going to try the Lemon Ricotta cake recipe next and am looking forward to more amazing recipes based on the photos on Elena Davis’s website.
This makes me so happy 🤍 I love hearing that you noticed the delicate pear flavor and texture, that’s exactly what I hope for with that cake. And half gone in less than a day? I’d say that’s a success 😊
I’m so excited you’re trying the Lemon Ricotta Cake next. That one is such a favorite and has the most beautiful light texture. Thank you for baking along with me and for your kind words, it truly means so much. More delicious recipes coming your way 💛
In step 4 can I mix with stand mixer or is it best by hand?
Thank you!
Yes, you can!