Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·★★★★★5 from 3 reviews

Incredible spiced almond pear cake is as delicious as it is gorgeous! This gluten free pear dessert is made with a moist almond flour base filled with warm spices, which is the perfect foundation for slices of tender pears lining the top. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for the ultimate dessert that’s sure to impress!

This almond pear cake is so flavorful, and will hit the spot and be the star of the show at any get-together. It comes together so easily, too!

Whip up the almond flour cake with a combination of fine almond flour, spices, eggs, coconut sugar, vanilla and olive oil. Then, top it with thinly sliced pears and almond slivers before baking. Cool, slice and serve. Everyone will be asking you for this recipe!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

Gluten free: Instead of all-purpose flour, we’re using almond flour to make the cake gluten and grain free.
Dairy free: No need for butter or milk, olive oil makes the cake perfectly moist and tender.
Minimal key ingredients: This gluten free pear dessert only requires 7 key ingredients, plus spices.
Low carb and minimal sugar dessert: There are only 18g net carbs and 10g of sugar per slice.
Very easy, yet impressive: This is simple to mix together, yet it looks so elegant and fancy! It’s perfect for serving during the holidays!

Ingredient highlights:

Almond flour: Use a fine almond flour (rather than almond meal) to keep the cake moist and create a light crumb texture.
Spices: A blend of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cardamon and ground cloves for cozy fall flavor, similar to chai spice.
Eggs: You’ll need five eggs to ensure this ginger pear cake bakes up properly for the best gluten free cake crumb.
Sea salt: The salt will enhance all of the flavors of the other ingredients.
Coconut sugar: Natural sugar to add sweetness, with a lower glycemic index compared to cane sugar.
Vanilla: For a warm, subtly sweet flavor.
Olive oil: To add moisture to the cake.
Pear: Use a ripe Bartlett pear that is not too soft. Who doesn’t love a gluten free pear dessert!
Almonds: Slivered almonds add texture and flavor.

Nutritional highlight:

This almond pear cake is actually a well balanced dessert with fats from olive oil, protein from eggs and a small amount of carbs from almond flour and coconut sugar. In addition, the spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cardamom) and olive oil are filled with protective antioxidants.

Many cakes will have upwards of 20-30+ grams of sugar and 40+ grams of carbohydrates which can spike blood sugar and not make you feel very good. Instead, this gluten free pear dessert is well balanced with less carbs (18 net carbs to be exact), just 10 grams of sugar, healthy fats and some protein as well.

This combination will help you skip the sugar rush and feel more balanced in your body.

Recipe steps:

Prep: Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides with a drizzle of olive oil.
Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium bowl combine the almond flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves and mix to evenly distribute the spices. Set aside.
Separate the eggs: Add the egg yolks to a large bowl and the egg whites to a medium bowl. Set the egg yolks aside.
Beat the egg whites: Add salt to the egg whites. Then use a hand or stand mixer on medium-high speed to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. Set whipped egg whites aside.
Beat the egg yolks: Add coconut sugar to the bowl with egg yolks and use the hand or stand mixer on medium-high speed to beat the egg yolks until creamy and pale in color, a minimum of 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and olive oil and beat on low to combine.
Combine all ingredients: Using a spatula, gently stir in the almond flour mixture until just combined. It may be thick. Then gently fold in the egg whites being careful to not deflate the egg whites.
Add pear slices and almonds: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth the top, if needed. Take the sliced pears and fan the out in a decorate pattern on top of the cake batter without overlapping the fruit too much. Sprinkle the exposed cake batter with sliced almonds.
Bake: Place in oven and bake on the middle rack for 24-26 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown, cooked through and toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Remove cake from pan: Cool the cake completely. Once cool, run a small knife around the edges of the pan, carefully invert the cake on a solid surface, remove the parchment paper the carefully invert the cake back onto a serving plate.
Serve: Cut the cake into 8-12 slices with a serrated knife. Enjoy as is, or with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Substitutions & Variations:

Fruit: This cake with almond flour works great with any type of pears or apples, or even plums in the summer.
Flour: If you’re allergic to almonds you can substitute a fine hazelnut flour, with crushed hazelnuts on top.
Different flavor: Add orange or lemon zest for a hint of citrus. One teaspoon of orange zest would be an excellent addition.

FAQ:

Can I use all-purpose flour?

We cannot recommend a flour substitute in this recipe as it was specifically formulated to be gluten free and use almond flour or hazelnut flour.

What are the best pears for baking?

We like to use Bartletts (red or green), Anjou pears (red or green), or Bosc pears when baking. Choose pears that are slightly firm, so they don’t get too mushy while baking.

Do I have to peel pears for baking?

Whether or not to peel the pear is a matter of personal preference. I think the skin gives the pears a nice rustic appearance on top of the cake. Plus, there are extra nutrients that come from the skin. However, if the skin bothers you, feel free to peel the pear before slicing it.

Storing your cake:

To store: Any leftover almond pear cake should be kept well-covered in foil or plastic wrap in the refridgerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze: Simply wrap tightly in plastic, then tightly in foil and finally place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature once you are ready to eat. You can also freeze individual slices.
Reheating: If you’d like to enjoy leftovers warmed up, pop a slice in the microwave for about 25 to 30 seconds.

Other gluten free desserts you’ll love:

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