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A slice of apple cake with visible apple pieces, dusted with powdered sugar, sits on a white plate. In the background, a rustic pear cake rests on another plate, slightly blurred.
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Rustic Pear Cake (Torta Rustica di Pere)

This Torta Rustica di Pere, or Rustic Pear Cake, is a simple Italian dessert that celebrates ripe pears. Moist, golden, and delicately scented with vanilla, it’s perfect for cozy fall baking. Serve it with coffee or as an elegant yet effortless dessert.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: cake, pear
Servings: 8
Calories: 314kcal
Author: Lora

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar plus one teaspoon
  • 1 egg at room temperature
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • ½ cup whole milk you could use almond, rice, or coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 6 firm but ripe small pears cored and cut lengthwise into quarters (see notes)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar to sprinkle on top

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease and dust with flour a line an 8 or 9-inch spring form pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pears and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the light brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sea salt, and cinnamon.  In a medium sized bowl, mix together the sugar, egg, oil, milk and vanilla.  Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Scrape the sides of the bowl while mixing. Spoon in three quarters of the mix into the base of  cake pan-. Scatter the pears on top. Spoon on the rest of the batter and let some of the pears peek through. Sprinkle on some some turbinado sugar and bake
  • Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for 15-20 minutes before removing from the pan. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Notes

    • Pear measurement: This recipe uses 6 small pears, which equals 3¾ cups of sliced pears, or about 520 g of pears after coring.
    • If you can’t find small pears, you can substitute 4 medium pears to reach the same amount.
    • Choose firm but ripe pears so they hold their shape while cooking and don’t turn mushy in the cake.
    • Brown the pears properly. Let them turn lightly golden before adding sugar and cinnamon for deeper flavor.
    • Do not overmix the batter. Fold gently and stop as soon as the flour disappears to keep the cake tender.
    • Let some pears peek through the top layer of batter for a rustic look and better texture.
    • Use an 8 inch pan for a taller cake or a 9 inch pan for a slightly thinner cake that bakes faster.
    • Check doneness by inserting a skewer into the center, avoiding large pear pieces. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
    • Let the cake cool 15 to 20 minutes before removing from the pan so the crumb sets properly.
    • Add lemon zest or a pinch of nutmeg for extra depth without overpowering the pears.

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 56IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 1mg