Spiced French Pear Cake

Autumn is the season when markets brim with apples and pears, when kitchens fill with the scent of warming spices, and when baking feels less like a task and more like a ritual. It’s a time for lingering afternoons, warm drinks, and desserts that are simple enough for everyday yet elegant enough for company. This Spiced French Pear Cake is exactly that kind of recipe. It’s rustic but refined, fragrant but comforting, and every bite tastes like the coziness of fall.

Inspired by the classic French apple cake, this version takes a seasonal turn with ripe pears, a gentle splash of dark rum, and the warmth of chai spices. The batter is buttery and tender, laced with vanilla and just enough spice to perfume the whole kitchen as it bakes. Chopped pears are folded into the cake itself, adding little bursts of sweetness and texture, while thin slices fan across the top, caramelizing under a scattering of coarse sugar.

The preparation begins much like any good French cake: creaming butter and sugar until light and airy, then slowly working in eggs, vanilla, and rum. The dry ingredients, consisting of flour, baking powder, and a generous spoonful of chai spice, come together with the pears to create a batter that’s thick but lush.

What makes this cake truly special is the way it blurs the line between everyday and occasion. Serve it warm with a dusting of icing sugar for an afternoon treat, or dress it up with a dollop of whipped cream or crème fraîche after dinner. The top, with its accordion of pear slices and sparkling sugar, makes it as beautiful as it is delicious.

Whether you’re looking for a new dessert to bring to the table, a way to celebrate pears at their peak, or simply something that captures the essence of fall, this Spiced French Pear Cake is the answer. It’s rustic French baking at its best; unfussy, fragrant, and just sweet enough to make the moment feel special.

Spiced French Pear Cake

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Yield: Make 1 loaf, serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
• 2 tsp chai spice (see notes)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup salted butter, room temperature, plus additional for greasing
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ cup dark rum
• 3 pears, diced (about 3 cups)

For Dressing the Top

• 2 tbsp coarse sugar, such as sanding or Demerara
• 1 pear, thinly sliced lengthwise
• Pinch chai spice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter and dust very lightly with flour.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, chai spice, baking powder and salt.
3. Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and rum. Add the flour mixture and gently mix until just combined. Fold in the chopped pears.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread the top for an even thickness. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar, then arrange the sliced pears on top in an accordion pattern. Dust the pears with a pinch of chai. 
5. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a rack in the pan. Once cool, run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake, then gently flip the cake over and place right-side-up on a wire rack to cool. 
6. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Notes: 

• You can find chai spice blends in most well-stocked grocery stores, but making your own allows you to adjust the balance of flavors. To make a simple blend at home, mix 2 tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp each ground ginger and cardamom, 1 tsp nutmeg, and ½ tsp each of ground cloves and black pepper. Store in a sealed jar and use as needed.
• Use firm but ripe pears so they hold their shape when diced and sliced. Bosc, Anjou, or Bartlett varieties all work beautifully.
• If you prefer not to use alcohol, replace the rum with apple cider or orange juice for a similar depth of flavor.
• Delicious on its own, but also wonderful with a sprinkling of icing sugar, whipped cream, or a spoonful of crème fraîche.