This ginger pear loaf cake makes a dramatic dessert with surprisingly familiar flavours. Whole spiced pears are baked right into a ginger-and-molasses cake studded with bits of chocolate and crystallized ginger. Cinnamon, cardamom and allspice round out the warm spice mix, while the pears keep every slice moist and tender. Serve it with Eggnog Crème Anglaise for the holidays or a scoop of vanilla ice cream anytime.

Why You’ll Love It

The whole pears make a showstopping dessert.: Three poached pears are nestled evenly throughout the loaf, creating a beautiful cross-section of fruit when sliced.
The cake doubles down on ginger.: Ground and crystallized ginger pair with molasses, while bits of semi-sweet chocolate add richness.
It’s made for winter entertaining.: Serve the loaf with Eggnog Crème Anglaise for a holiday dessert, or keep it simple with vanilla ice cream.

Two slices of brown loaf cake with half a pear inside being drizzled with runny white sauce.

Ginger Pear Loaf Cake

Soo Kim

Whole spiced pears are baked into this ginger-and-molasses loaf cake with chocolate, crystallized ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and allspice.

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Ingredients

Poached Pears

1¼ cups granulated sugar
4 green cardamom pods
1 3-in (8-cm) piece fresh ginger thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
3 small, firm pears

Ginger Pear Loaf Cake

1¾ cups all-purpose flour spooned and levelled
2½ tsp ground ginger
1½ tsp cinnamon
1¼ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground allspice
¾ cup unsalted butter softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup fancy molasses
⅔ cup buttermilk
⅓ cup finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
¼ cup chopped crystallized ginger

Instructions

Poached Pears

Cut circle of parchment paper slightly smaller than base of medium pot; set aside.
In same pot over medium-high heat, combine sugar, cardamom pods, ginger, cinnamon stick, star anise and 4 cups water, and boil until sugar dissolves.
Meanwhile, peel pears, leaving stems intact. Using melon baller or teaspoon, core each pear through bottom.
Reduce heat so liquid is simmering. Add pears; place parchment paper circle overtop, pressing directly on pears. Place small lid or plate on top to keep pears submerged.
Return heat to simmer; cook until tender in centre when pierced with knife, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool in syrup, about 3 hours.

Ginger Pear Loaf Cake

In bowl, whisk together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cardamom and allspice.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9×5-in (23×13-cm) 2-L loaf pan; line with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the long sides.
In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter with brown sugar on medium until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping bowl after each addition. Beat in molasses.
Stir in flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until almost combined. Fold in chocolate and crystallized ginger; scrape into prepared pan.
Pat dry cooled pears; slice enough off bottoms so they stand upright. Carefully nestle into batter.
Bake until puffed and a cake tester inserted into centre comes out clean, covering with foil if browning quickly, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes. Turn out onto rack; let cool completely. Serve with Eggnog Creme Anglaise or vanilla ice cream.