Pear & Raspberry Cake Recipe : An Easy Autumn Bake

There’s something about Autumn that makes baking feel especially inviting. As the days become cooler and the evenings draw in, the kitchen becomes the perfect place to relax after a hectic day to bake a homemade cake.

This year with the lovely warm summer weather, we had a good yield from our pear tree hence I was inspired to recreate this Pear & Raspberry Cake which I remember watching on Fuine.

You could use tinned pears or eating pears from the supermarket. I have used Conference pears (which is a common variety in the UK) and this particular pear are better for cooking . So I have cooked these with a little sugar, water and squeeze of lemon before adding them on the cake. Alternatively, you could swap the pears for apples if you prefer.

Light, buttery and wonderfully simple to make, the cake brings together tender slices of pear with bursts of fresh raspberry. A little orange zest adds a lovely freshness to the sponge, while the fruit creates a beautiful splash of colour when the cake is cut. It’s a recipe that feels both rustic and special, making it ideal for an afternoon treat or a relaxed weekend bake when you have family or friends over.

Serve it warm with a generous spoonful of cream, ice cream or custard. You can also have this cold alongside a cup of tea.  Alternatively you could also make this with apples instead of pears.

Ingredients for the Pear & Raspberry Cake

175g castor sugar
2 eggs + 1/2 tsp vanilla
75ml milk
75g cooled melted butter
125g self raising flour & 1 orange zest
Pear slices, handfull of fresh raspberry, 2 tbsp of dermerara sugar for the topping.

Method

Heat your oven at 175C.
Add Greaseproof paper and butter an 8” tray (I have used a rectangle 7.5″x11.5″ tray).
Using hand mixer, mix eggs and sugar. Then add the milk and butter. Fold in the flour and zest and pour batter into the tin.
Decorate with the raspberry and pear slices and bake.
You can serve this hot or cold with cream or ice-cream. And even replace pear with apples if want.
I slightly reduced the sugar in the cake and added a sprinkling of demerara sugar over the top, which gave the cake a lovely crispy finish.
Bake for around 20 minutes until cake is golden in colour and cooked.

Tip

I used 160g sugar and 1 tbsp of dermerara sugar on the top.  You can also use more raspberry so when you cut the cake it has a lovely colour to it or swap the pears for apples. Serve with custard, ice-cream or cream.

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