Apple Pear Pound Cake
Looking for a fun autumn dessert? This Apple Pear Pound Cake features apples and pears with a bit of maple syrup – it’s a tasty way to welcome in the season!
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I’ve always had a sweet tooth. My Mom is the same way, and we often had something sweet around the house when I was a kid. It ranged from banana bread to homemade chocolate chip cookies to something as simple as a pack of Oreos. Once I moved out on my own, that sweet tooth moved with me. However, as a bachelor, I didn’t do a ton of baking. (Shocking, right?) That’s when I discovered that diced apples sautéed in a bit of brown sugar made for an awesome sweet treat.
I can’t tell you the number of times I would cook up apples with brown sugar. It was an easy recipe (if you can even call it a recipe), and it satisfied my sweet tooth. Win-win. Fast forward some number of years, and I’ve gotten back to my love of baking. The other day, I saw a pack of Stouffer’s ‘harvest apples’ (apples cooked with cinnamon) in the frozen aisle at the grocery store. That reminded me of the days when I cooked apples with brown sugar…and it made me crave that recipe!
Apple Pear Pound Cake
I immediately came home from the store and made a batch of those sautéed apples that night. They were tasty, and Robbie was a huge fan, too. But as I was making those apples, I got the idea to incorporate them into another dessert. A pound cake perhaps? And that’s how this Apple Pear Pound Cake came into existence.
In addition to the apples, I added a couple of pears to the pan as well. I’ve been saying for years that I want to bake with pears more often, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Pears are quite tasty, but I just never seem to think about them. (We also live smack in the middle of apple country here in upstate New York – apples are everywhere in the fall.) The apple + pear combination was great for this Apple Pear Pound Cake. In fact, I might start including pears whenever I make those sautéed apples.
One other slight twist to this Apple Pear Pound Cake was using maple syrup instead of brown sugar. Maple syrup is nature’s candy, after all. If you’re looking for a tasty dessert, then just make the sautéed apples and pears portion of this recipe. It’s quite tasty! However, if you want to go that extra step or two, then make this pound cake. I used a classic sour cream pound cake, and I folded the sautéed fruit into the cake before it went into the oven. I also finished this cake with a maple glaze to really call out the maple flavor – I highly recommend it!
If you’re looking for a tasty dessert for autumn, then put this Apple Pear Pound Cake on the list. This moist sour cream pound cake is packed with seasonal flavors, and it was a huge hit here in our house. Happy baking!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftovers of this Apple and Pear Pound Cake should be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. This cake also freezes well, too. Just wrap it in plastic wrap and store it a freezer bag for up to 4 months. We like to wrap slices individually so that we can pull out 1-2 slices at a time for a special treat!
Did you bake this Apple Pear Cake at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your version!
Apple Pear Pound Cake
Ingredients
For Pound Cake
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 large Granny Smith apples
- 2 Bosc pears
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1½ cups unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
For Maple Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp milk
Instructions
For Pound Cake
- Peel, core and slice both the apples and the pears.
- Using a medium saucepan, add maple syrup, sliced apples and sliced pears; stir until well combined.
- Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, or until apples and pears have softened. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Using a medium mixing bowl, add flour, baking soda and salt; stir until well combined. Set bowl aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes on medium speed).
- Add eggs two at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add vanilla; mix until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the bowl in 2 additions, mixing well after each addition.
- Add sour cream; mix on low speed until well combined.
- Fold cooled apples and pears into batter.
- Scrape sides and bottom of bowl to ensure batter is well combined.
- Grease and flour a 10-12 cup Bundt pan (or generously spray with baking spray and then lightly dust with flour). Transfer cake batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 90-95 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Let cool completely before adding glaze and slicing.
For Maple Glaze
- Using a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, maple syrup and milk until smooth. Pour glaze over cooled cake.
Looking for more tasty pound cake recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Will be making this soon can i use vegan butter and coconut cream for the cake and can i use almond milk as am dairy free i never had apple pear pound cake before perfect for my birthday next year on 19 September and after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Hey Ramya! I haven’t used vegan butter and coconut cream myself, but I suspect you could make those substitutions – let me know if you try it out! And, yes, this pound cake would be great for birthdays!!
Apples, pears and maple syrup!!! This is perfect for the fall season and will satisfy any sweet tooth!!! I’ll bet this smells heavenly while baking too!
Tell me about it, Kathy! With apples, pears and maple syrup all coming together, this cake is perfect for these chilly fall days! And you said it about the smell – talk about the perfect way to get into the autumn spirit. 🙂
Sautéed (of baked) apple slices with some sugar (But I usually go with maple or honey) is an excellent and quick dessert perfect for the times you want to cut down the carbs and sugar intake yet cannot fully give up on sweets 🙂 And the combination of apples and pears in this cake? Excellent! I’m glad you’ve incorporated maple syrup this time. But the addition of some spices like cinnamon or cardamom wouldn’t hurt:)
I hear ya on those sauteed apples, Ben – so easy and so tasty. That’s what led to the inspiration for this cake! And I do think cinnamon and/or cardamom would be excellent additions here, too. Good call!
Oh my! Tell me how on earth can one be satisfied with just one slice of this apple and pear studded poundcake??? This is one fantastic recipe, David – one I would have a hard time sharing! And you know what? I had cinnamon sauteed apples Friday night for dessert – sometimes I make a streusel topping for those sauteed apples but most times it’s either granola or grape nuts!
Hah – I wish I could answer your question, Shashi! However, I failed the one-slice challenge here. 🙂 Also, I really like the idea of grape nuts with cinnamon sautéed apples. I might have to make that one night soon!
I love the texture of this cake! It’s really the ultimate fall treat.
There is so much fall goodness going on with this cake, Marissa! It’s delicious!
David – your sauteed apples memory brought back memories – my Mom used to make the same thing for us, or else she would hollow out the to nearly the bottom apple pits and stuff them with brown sugar and raisins! I loved those! And, this pound cake is total perfection – that texture is dreamy! And a sour cream pound cake is always awesome! Great recipe!
You know, I’ve been thinking about making a batch of those sauteed apples again – they’re so easy and tasty! Plus, it’s apple season right now, so we’ve gotta take advantage of that. 🙂 I love the idea of brown sugar + raisins stuffed inside an apple. I might have to try that!!
David, sometimes I think we’re the same person. I also love to slice up an apple and fry it up with butter and brown sugar. Such a great treat! I’ve never thought to toss them into a pound cake though. It sounds like a cake I’d love to pounds down, for sure.
I do agree, Jeff! We share quite a few of the same foodie viewpoints. If you like to pound down pound cake, then add a few sautéed apples in there next time – you won’t be disappointed! 🙂
Loving thos chunks inside that pound cake
Thanks so much, Raymund! This pound cake is perfect for chilly fall days!
These bundt pans are not readily accessible in Belfast can I use another type & what adjustments will I need for metric/ imperial measurements.
Thanks in anticipation
G
Hey Geraldine! I didn’t realize bundt pans aren’t common over in Belfast. Is there a chance you can order one on Amazon? (I find that Amazon is really helpful for items like this!) With that said, you could use a 9″x13″ pan. Make sure to leave a little bit of room at the top of the pan (~2 cm) so that the cake does not overflow when it rises in the oven. Bundt pans are also very deep, so the baking time will be a lot less in a 9″x13″ pan. I haven’t baked this cake in that type of pan, so I don’t know the baking time – just check the cake every 10 minutes or so until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean. It can be done! I hope you enjoy this recipe – happy baking!!
I LOVE pears so I’m always looking for new simple delicious recipes and this one did not disappoint! It was so easy to make & full of so much maple flavour. Thanks for this, its a keeper!
I’m with ya, Sabrina! I love pears, too, but I rarely think about baking with them. This pound cake was quite tasty, and the maple flavor takes it to a whole new level for me. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!!