You can finally feed your family cake for breakfast with zero guilt, just happy faces and tummies with this pear one. It is gently spiced, think of a pear-gingerbread combo in flavour.
It's sweetened with just a little honey and the natural sweetness of ripe pears, so no refined sugar is added. Made with wholemeal flour, it's hearty without being heavy, and crammed full of pears so it's beautifully moist and full of goodness! It's the kind of cake that fills the kitchen with the cosiest smell as it bakes.
It's also the perfect make-ahead breakfast. Serve it warm for the best texture and flavour, just a brief spell in the microwave brings it back to life when you're ready to serve. And it freezes beautifully, and squares can be reheated straight from frozen in the microwave, making busy school mornings feel a little calmer.
It's also a breakfast cake to be shared with all the family, it's suitable for toddlers from 12 months +. You can slice little one's serving into finger-size strips.
Watch the Step-by-Step Video
Lunchbox Filler or Snack
I created this as a breakfast cake, but doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed as a healthier snack or lunchbox filler for adults and kids alike.
Pear Breakfast Cake for Christmas Morning
If you're looking a healthy, yet special Christmas morning breakfast, bake it in advance, then reheat the whole cake in the oven for just 10 minutes on Christmas morning for a fuss-free, festive start to the day.
How to Make Pear Breakfast Cake
Time needed: 1 hour
Making this Pear Breakfast Cake is essentially a seven step process:
- Get bake ready
You'll need to preheat the oven and line square baking tin. I like to grease it all over and then add baking paper to cover the base and go up just two sides, so I can lift the cake out holding onto those (watch video to see what I mean). The cake tin I used was 9 inch but an 8 inch will be fine too, just bear in mind it will take a little longer to cook as it will be deeper, add 5 mins and then check it every 5 minutes if not done.
- Combine dry ingredients
Add in the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarb/baking soda and spices to a medium mixing bowl and stir.
- Melt butter & honey
Do so in a medium saucepan over a low heat.
- Grate the pears
While that's melting, peel and grate your pears. You'll need to put a sieve on top of a large jug or bowl and then put them on your scales. As you go, add the grated pear to the sieve. Keep going until the scale says 455g. Then remove from the scales and briefly gently shake the sieve so any excess juice drips off. Discard the juice in the bowl (or drink, add to a smoothie or fruit salad).
- Combine everything
Remove the butter and honey pan from the heat and stir in the grated pear using a balloon hand whisk. Then, stir in the milk, followed by the egg. Finally, add the dry ingredients to the pan and stir until no flecks of flour remain.
- Fill your cake tin
Tip the batter into your lined cake tin, scraping down the bowl. Level out with a spatula and then sprinkle with the oats.
- Bake
Transfer to the centre of the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tray and then carefully remove, cut into 9 squares and serve. If making ahead of time, can leave to cool before cutting. Best served warm, see below FAQ's or recipe notes for reheating before serving if made in advance.
FAQ's For My Pear Breakfast Cake
- Pears. Around 600-650g / 23 oz, typically a supermarket bag of pears.
- Wholemeal flour (or wholewheat). Wholemeal flour still contains the bran and germ, so it's higher in fibre, vitamins, and minerals than white flour, which has those removed during processing.
- Honey or agave. Instead of using refined sugar, we are using either honey or agave. Honey or agave is less processed and they contain small amounts of beneficial compounds, like antioxidants. They also tend to have a lower glycaemic impact, helping avoid sharp blood sugar spikes.
- Spices. To give this cake a gingerbread-pear flavour, we are adding cinnamon, ground ginger and a pinch of nutmeg.
In terms of preparing the ingredients ahead of time, you could combine all the dry ingredients and cover the bowl until ready to bake. I don't recommend grating the pears in advance as they will go brown very quickly.
Nope! The beauty of this Pear Breakfast Cake is that you can bake it any time you like. It will keep for five days in the fridge (or 2-3 at room temp), then you can just warm as many squares as you need in the microwave come breakfast time (it's best served warm!). It also freezes well, and you can microwave it from frozen when ready to eat.
It's going to depend on your microwave and how it's been stored, but here's an idea of what I usually do: one square for about 20 seconds from room temperature, from the fridge around 25 seconds. From frozen, I heat one square for around 1 min 40-50 seconds until it's steaming hot and then I leave it to cool slightly for a couple minutes before serving.
It doesn't have to be, if you want something you can grab as you're running out the door or even to put in a lunchbox, it is fine at room temperature. To enjoy this breakfast cake at it's softest and most satisfying, I do recommend warming it up.
This Pear Breakfast Cake is perfect for special occasions like Christmas or Thanksgiving, or when you have guests staying. You definitely won't want to be baking it in the morning though! You can make it a few days in advance and store it in the fridge or even freeze it weeks in advance.
To reheat the whole cake, place it on a lined baking tray and heat it in a conventional oven at 170ºc / 325ºf for 10 minutes. If it's been frozen, defrost at room temperature overnight.
This Pear Breakfast Cake will be good for up to 5 days (bake day + 4) when stored in an air-tight container or resealable food bag in the fridge, or 2-3 days at room temperature.
Yes and I often do! It's so easy to defrost and warm in the morning, especially great for busy school mornings. For example, one square will take around 1 min 40-50 seconds in the microwave to go from frozen solid to hot and soft. Just then leave it to cool off slightly for about a minute or two before serving - enough time as it takes you to pour everyone's breakfast milk or juice should do it!
This Pear Breakfast Cake is suitable for vegetarians and those on a nut-free diet. It is NOT suitable for vegans, diary, egg or gluten-free diets.
Sharing with a Weaning Baby or Toddler
I recommend sharing this Pear Breakfast Cake only with little ones over 12 months old, as we're adding sweetener in the form of honey or agave. Because it's a small amount, if you are happy to share a little with a baby under 12 months, make sure you use agave and NOT honey.
I would give a toddler half a cake square and slice into finger-size strips.
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Pear Breakfast Cake
Ingredients
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 80 g honey / agave or more to taste (see notes)
- 650 g pears, a bag of pears should do it
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbps milk of choice
- 260 g plain wholemeal / wholewheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarb of soda / baking soda
- Pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch nutmeg
- 2 tbps rolled oats for sprinkling optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170ºc/fan 150ºc/325ºf/gas 3. Grease and line a square cake baking tin.
- Compile your dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Add in the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarb/baking soda and spices and stir.
- Melt the butter and honey in a medium saucepan over a low heat.
- While that's melting, peel and grate your pears. Put a sieve on top of a large jug or bowl and then put them on your scales. As you go, add the grated pear to the sieve. Keep going until the scale says 455g. Then remove from the scales and briefly gently shake the sieve so any excess juice drips off. Discard the juice in the bowl (or drink, add to smoothie or fruit salad). Remove the butter and honey pan from the heat and stir in the grated pear using a balloon hand whisk.
- Then stir in the milk, followed by the egg.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pan and stir until no flecks of flour remain.
- Tip the batter into your lined cake tin, scraping down the bowl. Level out with a spatula and then sprinkle with the oats.
- Transfer to the centre of the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then carefully remove, cut into 9 squares and serve. If making ahead of time, can leave to cool on wire rack before cutting. Best served warm, see notes for reheating before serving if made in advance.
Baby & Toddler
STORAGE
Nutrition
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