Sweet and fragrant with a maple cream-cheese icing, this Pear Cardamom Cake is an elegant, comforting dessert—perfect for holiday entertaining.
I recently attended a Williams-Sonoma Cookbook Club class highlighting Giada De Laurentiis’ book Happy Cooking. The evening was lively: we chatted about seasonal food and watched Chef Roger demonstrate a few new recipes ideal for holiday gatherings. I left with fresh inspiration and a signed copy of Giada’s book.
I’m a serious pear enthusiast—more so than a typical autumn apple lover—and I cook with pears whenever I can. Their mild, sweet flavor and subtly floral notes lend a refined touch to both savory and sweet dishes. After tasting Giada’s Spiced Apple Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze at the class, I adapted the idea into a cake that showcases three favorite fall flavors: pears, pecans, and cardamom.
Instead of Giada’s spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, I chose cinnamon and cardamom. Cardamom’s warm, floral aroma pairs beautifully with pear without overpowering it. Maple syrup is the cake’s main sweetener, which gives the batter a deep, rounded flavor and, together with oil and fruit juices, produces a tender crumb that stays moist for several days. I also use maple syrup in the cream-cheese glaze to echo and enhance those warm notes.
The finished cake is beautiful and versatile: a welcome addition to a Thanksgiving dessert table, easy to transport to friends or family, and elegant for holiday brunch. It’s substantial enough to enjoy with coffee or tea, and honestly, a slice for breakfast feels perfectly acceptable when there’s fruit involved.
Pear Cardamom Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
Inspired by “Spiced Apple Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Icing,” Giada De Laurentiis, Happy Cooking.
Ingredients
To make the cake
- 2 pears (about 3 cups fruit), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch dice
- 1-1/2 cups pure maple syrup
- 3 large eggs , room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 cups all-purpose flour , divided
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans , toasted
To make the icing
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cool water , plus extra as needed
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack in the middle. Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, eggs, vegetable oil, and brown sugar until very smooth. A hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-low speed works well.
- Toss the diced pears with 2 tablespoons of the flour and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in three additions, mixing until combined. Gently fold in the floured pears and the toasted pecans.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 55–60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the icing and serve
- In a blender or food processor, combine the confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, heavy cream, cream cheese, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon cool water. Process until smooth, scraping as needed. If the icing is too thick, add extra cool water 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches a pourable consistency. Pour over the cooled cake, let stand 15 minutes, then slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Please note these recipes use US Customary measurements and have not been tested for high-altitude baking.