This gluten free pear bundt cake is one of my favorite fall desserts to bake. It is moist, lightly spiced with cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, and studded with fresh diced pears in every bite. I used pears from my parent's tree for this recipe, but any ripe, firm pear works well.
It is one of those cakes that looks impressive with almost no effort, since the bundt pan does most of the work.
This cake comes together in one bowl for the wet ingredients and one for the dry, then bakes for about an hour while it fills the kitchen with warm fall spices. Once it has cooled, a simple dusting of powdered sugar is all it needs.
It is the kind of dessert that works just as well for a casual weeknight treat as it does for a holiday gathering or fall get together.
If you are looking for more easy gluten free dessert recipes you might also enjoy my Gluten Free Hummingbird Bundt Cake, this Gluten Free Double Chocolate Bundt Cake, this Gluten Free Gingerbread Bundt Cake, or my Gluten Free Angel Food Cake recipes.
You can find all my cake recipes here: Gluten Free Cake Recipes
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Made with fresh pears and warm fall spices like cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg
- Bakes in one pan, no layer cake assembly required
- Ready in about 1 hour 25 minutes
- Freezes well for up to a month
- A cozy, low effort dessert that still looks impressive on a dessert table
Choosing and Prepping Pears
Use pears that are ripe but still firm for this recipe. Very ripe pears release more moisture as they bake, which can make the batter too wet. If your pears are on the riper side, cut back the applesauce by 1 to 2 tablespoons to balance out the extra moisture.
Red pears, Bosc, Bartlett, or even Asian pears all work well here. Peel and dice the pears into small, even pieces so they distribute evenly throughout the batter.
Ways to Customize This Cake
- Fold in a half cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch
- Add a pinch of ground ginger or cardamom alongside the existing spices for a different warm flavor
- Swap the pears for a sweet apple variety
Storage
Let the cake cool completely and the store the cake in an air tight container for up to 5 days. You can also slice the cake into pieces and freeze individual pieces in freezer safe containers for up to 1 month.
Top Tip
Use pears that are ripe but still firm, not soft and mushy. Very ripe pears release extra moisture as they bake, which can make the cake dense or gummy in the middle. If your pears are on the riper side, cut back the applesauce by 1 to 2 tablespoons to keep the batter balanced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gluten free baking tends to require more moisture or oil than when you are using regular wheat flour. For this gluten free bundt cake recipe I added coconut oil, avocado oil, banana and pineapple to make it moist and delicious.
If you are using a cake recipe that isn't turning out moist I would suggest adding a bit more oil or butter. You can also add mashed banana or applesauce to help your baked goods have more moisture.
There really isn't that much difference in the cake batter itself. The bundt cake recipe may call for a bit more moisture and/or baking powder as the cake is going to raise higher than a regular layer cake or sheet cake.
The main difference you might find is that a bundt cake tends to have a crunchier texture on the top. I also love the ease of a bundt cake. The cake gets baked in one pan and then I either drizzle it with a glaze or sprinkle powdered sugar over the top. So much easier than frosting a layer cake!
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Gluten Free Pear Bundt Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This gluten free pear bundt cake is moist, lightly spiced with cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, and studded with fresh diced pears. It bakes in one pan in about an hour, making it a simple but impressive fall dessert. Finish it with a dusting of powdered sugar for an easy, elegant presentation.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Gluten Free Flour
- 2 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1 tsp. Sea Salt
- 2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. Ground Allspice
- ¼ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- ½ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 3 large Eggs
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 ½ cup Pears, peeled and diced
Optional Glaze:
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1-2 Tbsp. Milk
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-inch bundt pan with butter or coconut oil. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, ground cinnamon, ground allspice and ground nutmeg. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer beat the sugar, brown sugar and butter until combined and fluffy. Add the applesauce, eggs, vanilla and milk. Beat until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until just combined.
Add the pears and fold into the batter with a spatula to keep the diced chunks from being smashed by the mixer.
Pour the cake batter into the greased 9-inch bundt pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes. The cake will be browned and a toothpick will come out clean when the cake is done.
Let stand in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack.
Let the cake cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
For the optional glaze:
After the cake has cooled in a small bowl whisk together the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Drizzle the glaze over your cake and serve.
If you made this recipe please leave a star rating and comment below. It helps other readers find this recipe and means so much to me.
Notes
You could also use a sweet apple variety in this recipe.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
If you make this gluten free pear bundt cake, I would love to hear how it turns out. Leave a star rating and a comment below, and be sure to tag @smallfarmbiglife on Instagram so I can see your cake. For more gluten free fall desserts like this one, subscribe to the newsletter so you never miss a new post.
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-inch bundt pan with butter or coconut oil. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, ground cinnamon, ground allspice and ground nutmeg. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer beat the sugar, brown sugar and butter until combined and fluffy. Add the applesauce, eggs, vanilla and milk. Beat until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until just combined.
Add the pears and fold into the batter with a spatula to keep the diced chunks from being smashed by the mixer.
Pour the cake batter into the greased 9-inch bundt pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes. The cake will be browned and a toothpick will come out clean when the cake is done.
Let stand in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack.
Let the cake cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
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