
Pear Cake
When I was growing up, fresh fruit like pears wasn’t something you found often in Icelandic kitchens. Canned fruit was the practical (and delicious) solution that most housewives used — and somehow, tinned pears found their way into many of our best desserts.
Pear cake was one of those classics. It seemed to appear at every birthday party and confirmation, soft and slightly soaked through, with a generous layer of chocolate cream on top.
Just thinking about it brings back the scent of whipped cream and the sound of happy chatter around the table.
This is one of my absolute childhood favorites — simple, comforting, and wonderfully nostalgic.
Pear Cake
Cake layers
-
4 eggs
-
140 g sugar (just under 1 cup)
-
60 g flour (½ cup)
-
40 g potato starch (3 tbsp)
-
1 tsp baking powder
-
½ tsp salt
Chocolate cream
-
5 egg yolks
-
5 tbsp icing sugar
-
100 g chocolate, melted
-
400 ml heavy cream
-
1 large can of tinned pears
Directions
Cake layers:
Beat together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Gently fold in the flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt.
Pour the batter into two 22–24 cm cake pans and bake at 200°C (390°F) for about 10 minutes, or until just set.
Chocolate cream:
Whisk together the egg yolks and icing sugar until smooth and pale. Add the melted chocolate and mix gently.
Whip the cream until stiff peaks form and fold it carefully into the chocolate mixture.
Assembly:
Place one cake layer on a serving plate and drizzle some of the pear syrup over it so it becomes nice and moist.
Spread half of the chocolate cream on top and arrange a few halved pears over it.
Place the second cake layer on top, soak it lightly with the remaining pear syrup, and cover the whole cake with the rest of the chocolate cream.
Decorate with the remaining pears and pipe whipped cream around the sides and on top — as much or as little as you like.
This cake is best served chilled, and even better the next day when the flavors have settled a bit.
It’s a classic for a reason — soft, creamy, and irresistibly nostalgic.