Cookbooks
Never Say Never to Dolce
A brand-new collection of 50 approachable homemade desserts – from iconic Cannoli to Dolci al Cucchiaio and more – that proves there’s always room for a little sweetness.
Manuela’s Sweet Temptations
A collection of 50 irresistible dessert recipes, from classic Italian treats to modern favorites—including gluten-free options.
The Complete Italian Cookbook: Essential Regional Cooking of Italy
A collection of 50 irresistible dessert recipes, from classic Italian treats to modern favorites—including gluten-free options.
Gluten-Free Pear and Almond Crunch Cake Recipe
Extra moist and super soft, this naturally gluten-free cake is the perfect autumn dessert: with a touch of cinnamon, a buttery crumble top, and bursting with juicy pears
This post is written in collaboration with Harry and David. All opinions are mine alone.
Today I present you with this NEW recipe I’m super excited about.
A Gluten-Free almond and pear crunch coffee which is a wonderful dessert that celebrates the flavors of autumn and winter.
Made with naturally sweet and juicy fresh pears (on top and in the middle of the cake), warm cinnamon filling, and the nutty almond crumble topping come together to create a cake that’s not just gluten-free but also full of flavor and texture.
Imagine sinking your fork into a slice of cake so tender and moist it practically melts in your mouth. That’s the kind of decadence I’m serving up here. And the best part? It’s the perfect way to savor the rich, fruity goodness of fresh pear.
This flourless cake is perfect to enjoy next to a hot cup of coffee, or also pretty enough to be served at your holiday table.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when baking this cake!
Which variety of pear to use:
To make this coffee cake extra special I’m using Harry and David Royal Riviera Pears.
Grown in Medford, Oregon but originally from the South of France and sold in upscale European markets, these pears require very specific growing conditions.
Only a few regions in the world have the right climate and soil combination to produce this incredible fruit! So juicy, sweet, and flavorful, these pears are a rare treat, just like this cake! Find out more here Harry and David
Please note, I recommend using pears that are not overly ripe, but slightly soft to the touch. You like to have the full sweetness and flavor of ripe pears, but not too ripe they might disintegrate when baked.
Which flour to use:
For this recipe, I use almond flour (no need for gluten-free all purpose flour), made with ground almonds without the skin (blanched almonds), which I prefer to almond meal (made with unblanched almonds – those that have the skin on). Because unblanched almond meal uses the whole almond, it has a red-brown color and darker brown specks throughout If you can’t find almond flour, you can make it yourself in a food processor: buy whole, blenched almonds and blend/blitz until you get fine, powdery flour. Do not over-blend or you will end up with almond butter instead.
For this gluten-free pear cake, I’m using butter softened at room temperature, but you can also substitute with vegetable oil or light olive oil in the same quantity.In this recipe, I use large eggs. You will need to divide the egg yolks and the whites. Use the yolks right away and mix them well with the sugar. I use a hand mixer for this step, but you can whisk by hand or use a stand mixer too.
The egg whites are beaten until firm and folded into the cake batter at the end to give texture and structure to the cake. Add a small portion of the egg whites to start, maybe a third or so. Using a spoon or spatula, move around the edges of the bowl, under the batter, and fold it to the middle of the bowl. Continue rotating the bowl.
Add more of the egg whites and continue folding until incorporated in the batter. This motion will make sure the egg white will not deflate and the batter is airy and soft
Last but not least, make sure to let the cake cool down completely before removing it from the pan. This almond cake is super soft and very fragile, so if you remove it too soon it might break.
Ready to try this recipe too?!?
Happy Baking!
VIDEO RECIPE:
Other Almond Desserts you might like:
Gluten-Free Pear and Almond Crunch Cake Recipe
Extra moist and super soft, this naturally gluten-free cake is the perfect autumn dessert: with a touch of cinnamon, a buttery crumble top, and bursting with juicy pears
Servings:
8
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
60 min
Resting Time
Total Time
1 hr, 20 min
Ingredients
- 4 oz (110g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
- 3 large eggs, divided
- 1 cup (235 ml) Greek plain yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (200g) almond flour
- 1/4 cup (30 gr) potato (or corn) starch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large pear (or 2 medium), peeled, cored, and sliced
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons (40g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (25g) almond flour
- 2 oz (55g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons (40g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large pear, peeled, cut in quarters and sliced
- 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
Instructions
- To make the crumble topping: In a medium bowl, add the almond flour, butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Cut the butter into the dry ingredient with a fork or your fingers, until you get a crumbly mixture. Set aside.
- To make the pear filling: In a small bowl, add the pear cut into slices and stir in a small bowl with the cinnamon and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the side with butter (or spray) of an 8-inch (20cm) round springform cake pan.
- To make the cake batter: Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until creamed. Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and yogurt and beat until smooth. Add the almond flour, potato (or corn) starch, baking powder, and salt. Mix at low speed until just combined.
- Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, and using a spatula, gently fold about a third of the whipped egg whites into the cake batter. Add the rest of the whipped egg whites in 2 times, gently folding it into the batter. Don’t overwork the batter or it will deflate the egg whites.
- Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with a single layer of the prepared pear slices (don’t add the juice if any). Spoon the remaining batter on top and carefully spread into one layer.
- Top with the prepared crumble and almond slices. Peel and core the remaining large pear, cut into quarters, and slice each quarter. Arrange the sliced pear on top and press into the crumble.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for about 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Check after about 40 minutes, and cover the top loosely with aluminum foil if the top starts to darken too much. Let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired and serve!
