Pear Recipe: Pear Streusal Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel and Chocolate Drizzle

A couple of weeks ago I made this cake for the firemen and am just getting around to posting the recipe. I had been given the opportunity to pick pears and had quite a few of them so you know I would be developing a pear recipe. I love making bundt cakes because they serve quite a few and they always look so pretty. I used to have the devil’s own time getting them to un-mold well until I learned the trick of it; butter the bundt pan well and then dust with flour. It doesn’t matter what your pan is made from – if you do this your cake will come out perfectly. It is worth the time!

I didn’t want just a plain cake though, so I thought adding a layer of streusal would be just the thing. That certainly dressed up the cake on the inside but it still needed a little something on the outside. I went with two flavors that pair well with pear – caramel and chocolate. All in all it was a delicious cake that was very well received.

Pear Streusal Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel and Chocolate Drizzle

Serves 10 – 12

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks (8oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
2 medium pears, cored, peeled and cut into 1/4″ dice

For the Struesal:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 TBS unsalted butter

1/4 cup salted caramel

Preheat oven to 350°
Make the struesal:

Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Add the melted butter and stir until well mixed.
Set aside.
Make the cake:
Butter a 12 cup bundt pan and dust with flour.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy – about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time mixing well after each addition.
Add the vanilla and mix well.
Add the flour mixture in thirds and buttermilk in halves alternating between the two beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Fold in the pears.

Add half of the batter to the prepared pan.
Sprinkle in the struesal mixture, squeezing it to make chunks.
Top with the other half of the batter.
Bake in the preheated oven for 55 – 60 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
Let the cake cook for 10 minutes and then remove the cake from the pan and cool completely.
When ready to serve melt the chips and butter together.
Either make or buy the salted caramel. If you would like to make it I have a recipe for salted caramel with video instructions

Drizzle the cake with the chocolate, then the caramel then the chocolate again.

This was a big hit with the firemen and there was not a piece left at the end of the meeting. It’s the kind of cake where you don’t really need a big piece to satisfy because of all of the deliciousness going on. The chocolate and salted caramel are perfect foils for the pears and what is basically a plain cake.

What I really love about this recipe is that it can be altered in so many ways. You can add apples instead of pears. You can forgo the streusal. It’s very versatile.

Want to Try Another Pear Recipe:

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourboned Pears

Pear Coffee Cake with Chocolate and Oat Struesal

Apple and Pear Pastry 

All purchase links are affiliate links which means if you buy anything through them I will receive a small commission that helps to keep the Farm cats in toys and treats.

Pear Streusal Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel and Chocolate Drizzle

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Patty @brokenteepee.com
• Yield: 10 - 12 1x
• Category: Dessert

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Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 sticks (8oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
• 2 medium pears, cored, peeled and cut into 1/4” dice
• For the Struesal:
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1 TBS unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup salted caramel

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Make the struesal: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
3. Add the melted butter and stir until well mixed.
4. Set aside.
5. Make the cake:
6. Butter a 12 cup bundt pan and dust with flour.
7. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
8. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy – about 3 minutes.
9. Add the eggs, one at a time mixing well after each addition.
10. Add the vanilla and mix well.
11. Add the flour mixture in thirds and buttermilk in halves alternating between the two beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
12. Fold in the pears.
13. Add half of the batter to the prepared pan.
14. Sprinkle in the struesal mixture, squeezing it to make chunks.
15. Top with the other half of the batter.
16. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 – 60 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
17. Let the cake cook for 10 minutes and then remove the cake from the pan and cool completely.
18. When ready to serve melt the chips and butter together.
19. Either make or buy the salted caramel.
20. Drizzle the cake with the chocolate, then the caramel then the chocolate again.

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