Festive Pear & Marzipan Cake

Hosting a dinner party? Looking for an easy way to impress your guests with a plant-based dessert that tastes like the real deal? You simply must try this festive pear & marzipan cake!

a piece of cake with powdered sugar

Pears and almonds, almonds and pears, when it comes to baked goods, this is one of my favorite classic combinations. There is something purely magical in the way that the sweet almond filling covers the juicy pears, and creates a soft marzipan layer.

cake batter with pears

This cake is made to impress! By using whole pears, which are only revealed once you slice the cake, you could easily create a very festive and elegant feeling.

cake before baking

We love to eat this cake when it’s cold outside and all we want to do is snuggle and stay in. I guess there is something about the combination of flavors and textures that just make it so comforting and warming!

cake after baking

Dust some powdered sugar before serving, and create a perfect snowy look.

piece of cake

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recipe

Prep Time
35 minutes
Bake Time
65-70 minutes
Difficulty
Cake size:
10
inch round springform

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almond milk
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2.75 oz melted coconut oil
  • 4.5 oz unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 tsp almond extract
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 8.75 oz almond flour
  • 7 oz all purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup potato starch
  • 0.25 cup corn starch
  • 9.25 oz unrefined cane sugar
  • 2.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.75 tsp baking soda
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 6 firm pears (washed and patted dry)
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C). Grease a springform pan (I used a 10 inches pan which is about 26 cm).
  2. In a medium bowl - mix the almond milk and the vinegar and allow to sit for 5 minutes, creating a vegan buttermilk.
  3. Create a butter like mixture - add the melted coconut oil, applesauce, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and lemon zest into a large bowl or a standing mixer bowl and cream together using the beater.
  4. Combine the almond flour, all purpose flour, potato starch, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
  5. Sift the flour mixture into the butter mixture in three additions, and the buttermilk in two additions, stirring well after each addition, until a smooth batter is created.
  6. Pour the batter into the greased pan.
  7. Cut of a small piece of the bottom of each pear to make sure they stand up straight and don’t tip over. Press the pears down into the batter.
  8. Bake the cake on the lowest rack for 65-70 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  9. Remove the cake and let it cool down before you remove the sides of the springform.
  10. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.