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Why You’ll Love My Recipe

This Spiced Pear Bundt Cake is full of warm spices, sweet pears, and all the cozy flavors of fall! Topped with a crackly brown sugar glaze, it’s the perfect dessert for holiday gatherings, sharing over coffee, or enjoying whenever you’re craving something sweet!

If you have extra pears on hand or love them as much as I do, there are plenty of delicious ways to enjoy them. Try my easy Pear Crisp that’s best served with ice cream, or bake a batch of these Dutch Pear Pie Bars next!

A glazed bundt cake sits on a light green plate, with pears and a handwritten recipe card in the background.

Karlynn’s Recipe Notes

Skill Level: This Bundt cake is surprisingly easy to make, even though it looks (and tastes) impressive enough for a fancy gathering.
Total Time: Plan for about 2 hours from start to finish, including prep, baking, and resting. Luckily, most of that time is hands-off while the cake bakes and cools!
Variations: Swap the brown sugar glaze for my Easy Salted Caramel Sauce, Maple Frosting, or some Cream Cheese Glaze for a fun twist! You can also stir in chopped Old Fashioned Candied Pecans, walnuts, or toffee bits for extra crunch and flavor. Serve a slice with a dollop of Whipped Cream and a hot cup of tea or Irish Coffee for a cozy treat!
Tools For This Recipe: You will need a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan, a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, a grater for the pears, a spoon for mixing, a cake tester or toothpick, a wire rack, a small saucepan for the glaze, a whisk, and a serving plate.

A slice of glazed spice cake on a light green plate, with two pears, yellow flowers, and a handwritten recipe card in the background.

What You’ll Need for Ingredients

Pears: This wouldn’t be a pear cake without the pears! You’ll use both grated and chopped pears in this recipe. Karlynn’s Tip: Choose ripe but still firm pears so they’re sweet and flavorful without turning mushy when mixed into the batter.

All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour forms the base of the cake batter, and the baking powder and baking soda help it rise with a soft, tender crumb.

A handwritten recipe card for spiced pear bread sits on a wooden board next to fresh pears, a stick of butter, bowls of ingredients, and yellow flowers.

Spices: Ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg bring plenty of warm, cozy flavor to this cake, pairing beautifully with the vanilla extract. Karlynn’s Tip: These spices work wonderfully together, but you can also add a little pumpkin pie spice for even more depth. If you love a stronger spiced taste, feel free to increase the amounts to suit your taste!

Butter: Butter adds richness to the cake, working with the eggs to create a soft, moist crumb. It’s also an important ingredient in the brown sugar glaze! This recipe calls for salted butter, and you can use it for both components.

Sugar: The cake needs both granulated sugar and golden brown sugar, and the crackly glaze gets its sweetness from brown sugar as well. Karlynn’s Tip: Golden brown sugar gives the cake a mild caramel flavor without overpowering the pears, while dark brown sugar will add deeper molasses notes. Feel free to experiment with different types of brown sugar to find your favorite!

How To Make My Spiced Pear Bundt Cake with Crackly Brown Sugar Glaze

This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.

Hands chopping a pear into small cubes on a wooden cutting board, with bowls of baking ingredients in the background.

A hand holds a small bowl containing ground spices over a large mint-green bowl filled with flour.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Butter and flour a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars at medium speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffy.
Turn the mixer to low speed, add the eggs one at a time, and beat until each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Beat in the vanilla until fully incorporated.
With the mixer on low, mix in half the flour mixture until just combined.
Add the sour cream and mix until combined.
Add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until combined.
Add the grated pear and stir by hand until evenly distributed, then stir in the pear chunks.
Spoon the thick batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
Bake for 55–75 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean. Baking time will vary depending on the oven and the size of the Bundt pan.
Cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil about halfway through to prevent browning.
Once done, remove the cake and rest it on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
Invert onto a serving plate. If you plan to glaze the cake, glaze it while warm. Otherwise, let the cake cool, then cover.
If glazing the cake, prepare the brown sugar glaze according to the instructions and use immediately, as the icing will set within minutes.

A bundt cake with caramel-colored glaze on a green pedestal stand, with two pears in the background.

Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Spiced Pear Bundt Cake with Crackly Brown Sugar Glaze

Cut the Pears into Small, Even Pieces: Cut your pears into small, uniform chunks, so they distribute evenly throughout the thick cake batter. Larger pieces can weigh down the batter and sink to the bottom, so keeping the pieces small helps you get delicious bits of pear in every slice!
Don’t Overmix Your Batter: Once you start adding the flour mixture, mix only until the ingredients are just combined. Overmixing can develop too much gluten, leaving you with a tougher, denser cake instead of a soft, tender crumb.
Release the Cake Carefully: Before inverting your Bundt cake, gently run a thin rubber spatula or small butter knife around the outer edge and center tube of the pan. This helps loosen any spots that might be sticking, so it’s easier to turn the cake out without damaging its shape. Remember to let the cake rest for 20 minutes before inverting it!

A sliced bundt cake with caramel frosting on a green cake stand, with a slice held by a hand and pears in the background.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerator: Once the cake has cooled completely and the glaze has set, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let individual slices sit at room temperature for a little while before serving, or warm them briefly in the microwave.

Freezer: You can freeze this cake for up to 3 months, following USDA food safety guidelines. For easier serving, slice the cooled cake, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap, and place the slices in a freezer-safe container or bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature until ready to enjoy!

More Delicious Bundt Cake Recipes

Cakes are perfect for just about any occasion, from birthdays and holidays to the days when you’re craving something sweet! Try one of these Bundt Cake Recipes next, and don’t be surprised if everyone comes back for seconds:

My Strawberry Bundt Cake is a fruity, sweet treat that’s perfect for sharing!
This rich, dense Chocolate Pound Cake is an easy choice for chocolate lovers like myself.
My Banana Pudding Cake combines classic banana pudding flavors with a delicious cream cheese glaze!

And there you have it, folks! A Bundt cake makes a lovely addition to any dessert table, and this one is a great excuse to use those delicious, ripe pears. Slice it up for your next family gathering, bring it to a potluck, or keep a few pieces on hand for a sweet afternoon treat.

Give this recipe a try, enjoy every bite, and don’t forget to leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you thought of the brown sugar glaze.

Happy Baking!

Karlynn