Pear Bundt Cake with Vanilla Brown Butter Glaze
Move over apples! There’s a new fruit in town, and it’s taking the fall baking scene by storm. This Pear Bundt Cake with Vanilla Brown Butter Glaze became an instant favorite!
Pear Bundt Cake- Perfect for Fall
A long, long time ago, when a whopping eight people read my blog, I made a Peach Bundt Cake. It was a huge hit, and it remains a summer favorite to this day. Unfortunately, peach season in Ohio lasts approximately 2.5 days so I don’t get to enjoy the cake nearly as much as I’d like.
I recently had a craving for my favorite peach bundt, but since peaches don’t exactly scream “October!,” I decided to create something with a more fall-appropriate flavor profile. The obvious choice was apples or pumpkin, but this time I found myself gravitating towards the lesser known of the fall fruit trifecta- pears.
Pears are the Cinderellas of fall fruit. The humble pear sits quietly in the background while apples and pumpkins fight over who gets the most Instagram hashtags named after them.
Then one day the pear gets all dressed up with some brown butter, cinnamon, and vanilla bean syrup, waltzes out of the oven, and steals the show.
This Pear Bundt Cake with Vanilla Brown Butter Glaze is making all the apples and pumpkins jealous this year. It is an absolute stunner.
This golden, buttery cake is spiced with warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and studded with fresh pear. But the real magic comes from one very special ingredient: Amoretti’s Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Syrup.
You may have seen this syrup gracing the counters of your favorite coffee shop, but it’s also a great ingredient to have around for home baking. This syrup is the real deal. All it takes is one look at the bottle to see it is loaded, and I do mean l-o-a-d-e-d with real flecks of vanilla bean.
Just a pump or two is all it takes to add serious vanilla flavor to your coffee, baked goods, or even oatmeal. It’s the special something that lends this cake it’s rich, warm vanilla flavor.
The syrup is so good I couldn’t resist adding a couple pumps to the glaze as well. Guys, I can hardly talk about this glaze without getting a little teary.
This is the first time I’ve used brown butter in a recipe, and now I feel like I owe you all an apology for holding out for so long. The toastiness, the richness, the nuttiness! Between the brown butter and the vanilla bean syrup, this glaze is outta control. The Mr. and I abandoned all sense of propriety and scraped it off the bottom of the pan with our fingers.
If you don’t have syrup, substitute vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.
I know apples and pumpkin are vying for your attention this season, but if there’s one thing I really, really hope you’ll take the time to make, it’s this cake. The Mr. declared it the best cake I’ve ever made (and I’ve made a lot of cakes)! So save room on your Thanksgiving table for this one. You won’t be bringing home leftovers, I can almost bet on it!
More Bundt Cake Recipes to Enjoy:
- Best Ever Chocolate Bundt Cake– This cake is always in the top 10 posts on my site.
- Orange Cake– I love this bright, refreshing citrusy bundt cake!
- Banana Split Bundt Cake
- Strawberry Bundt Cake
- Banana Caramel Cake
Pear Bundt Cake with Vanilla Brown Butter Glaze
Fresh seasonal pears delicately combined with autumnal spices and vanilla bourbon glaze. This bundt cake is a standout, perfect for any Fall gathering.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature (set out of the fridge for about 30 minutes)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Amoretti Vanilla Bean Madagascar Bourbon Syrup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups diced and peeled fresh pears
For the glaze:
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2-4 Tablespoons whole milk
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Amoretti Vanilla Bean Madagascar Bourbon Syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a ten inch bundt pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and gradually add sugar. Beat on medium high speed until mixture is light colored and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla bourbon syrup.
At low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture followed by half of the sour cream. Repeat, ending on the flour mixture. Beat on medium low speed until well combined.
Spoon half of mixture into bundt pan, spreading evenly. Layer with fresh diced pears. Spoon the remaining batter over top of the pears.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet. Invert cake onto cooling rack.
Meanwhile, make the glaze. Place the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter begins to foam and turns a toasty brown color. Pour the butter into a mixing bowl, leaving most of the brown sediment on the bottom of the pan behind. Whisk in the powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoons milk, vanilla syrup, and salt. Add additional milk if needed until the consistency is thick but pourable.
Once the cake has mostly cooled, pour the glaze on top, allowing it to drip down the sides. Serve at room temperature or (my favorite) warmed with milk or ice cream.
For the first time ever, I read the narrative before the actual blog recipe and I was delighted. Well written and engaging, plan to make the recipe too!
Thanks so much for sharing that with me! It means a lot. And I hope you love the recipe!
Is it weird that I’m picturing a small, pretty pear, dressed up in a Cinderella dress! But totally spot-on analogy. I’m glad you’re giving her her moment in the spotlight. And that Vanilla Brown Butter Glaze? That’s almost stealing the show.
It’s no weirder than coming up with the analogy in the first place! 🙂
I love bundt cakes of any kind, including pear, the underdog fruit. Seriously, why don’t pears get more attention? Love that you used the syrup as a glaze.
Pears are the best! They totally deserve to have the spotlight sometimes.
I do believe this cake can be called dreamy. Vanilla, brown butter and pears and I love bundt cakes! I think they are the best of all the cakes. I’ll take a giant slice (or two)!
I agree! Bundt cakes are definitely the best. They’re so easy but still so lovely!
It’s really sad that pears take the backseat to all the other fall produce. I love ’em! This is one gorgeous bundt cake, and that glaze looks amazing. Pinned.
I’m obsessed with pear desserts. And with a vanilla glaze? I’m so there! Pinned!
That is one awesome bundt cake! Great job 🙂