Pear Cake with olive oil, candied ginger and cinnamon is a perfect choice for pear season, autumn gatherings, and Rosh Hashanah. Need other ideas for the Jewish New Year? You’ll find many more in this Rosh Hashana round-up.

Another cake recipe you might enjoy is my maple blueberry cake.

For ease of browsing, here are all my baking and dessert recipes in one place.

A slice of pear cake with whipped cream on blue plate.

Olive Oil Pear Cake - Perfect for Fall and the Jewish New Year

There is nothing quite like fresh-picked fruit. When my neighbor generously shared a bounty of hand-picked Bartlett pears from Ukiah, I immediately started thinking about pear everything. When I saw the Kosher Camembert’s post about her super simple apple cake for the Jewish New Year – I wondered: could I use pears instead?

Turns out you absolutely can. Influenced by the flavor choices in this skillet pear cake, I added crystallized ginger, cinnamon, and salt to the original apple cake recipe and gave it a try. The result was described by one Rosh Hashanah dinner guest as “next level”. This olive oil cake with pears was served right next to an expertly baked cake from the Ottolenghi/Goh cookbook Sweet. And it held its own, mightily.

Why are Apples Traditional for Rosh Hashanah?

Eating apples and honey, in their basic form or in the dishes you cook for the Jewish New Year is one of the ubiquitous food traditions of Rosh Hashanah. Honey is traditional for its sweetness – symbolizing the Jews’ hope for a sweet new year.

But why do we dip apples and make apple cakes? Why not another fruit? Well, apples are generally sweet (and crunchy), so that's the practical answer. In addition, the sweetness of the apple is mentioned in the bible in Song of Songs in a story of Solomon and G-d's relationship with the Jewish people, something we contemplate during the Jewish High Holiday season.

Apples and honey in a bowl with candlesticks in background

Can you Bake this Cake with Apples instead of Pears?

You absolutely can bake this cake with apples. The original recipe that inspired me to create this pear version was made with apples. Note in the original recipe that Gayle does let the apples macerate for half an hour in a bit of sugar and lemon juice to soften them up – a step that is less critical with naturally softer pears. (lemon juice is still necessary just not the half hour to soften up)

Pear cake in pan with two whole sliced pears.

Can you Freeze Olive Oil Cake?

I learned from Gayle's apple cake recipe that you can make the cake ahead and freeze it. I did this for the pear version the first time I made it – careful to wait until it was completely cool and wrap it airtight. It defrosted perfectly and served up so well. Make this cake ahead of time and freeze it with confidence knowing you’ll have a delicious cake to serve the day you need it.

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A whole pear cake with pear, cake server, striped napkin.

Steps for Making this Pear Cake with Olive Oil

Prep your round cake pan.
Measure your dry ingredients.
Dice the crystallized ginger.
Whisk the eggs and sugars together.
Whisk in the olive oil and vanilla.
Peel your pears. Dice one to add to the cake batter. Slice the other two.
Add the diced pears, crystallized ginger and dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine.
Pour the batter into your cake pan. Decorate the top with the sliced pears and cinnamon sugar.
Bake!
Freeze or eat!

Pear cake batter in round pan with cinnamon sugar, ready to go into the oven.

How to Serve this Olive Oil Pear Cake

This cake is lovely to eat just as it is, but a dollop of freshly whipped cream flavored with vanilla or orange liqueur or orange zest is a wonderful addition. Or serve it in the afternoon with tea. Or if you’re like me, eat a slice with your morning coffee.

A slice of pear cake on blue plate with dollop of whipped cream.

Helpful Supplies for Making this Olive Oil Cake with Pears

This post contains Amazon affiliate links – if you click on one and purchase something, I receive a very tiny percentage of the sale. Your price is never affected.

Here are helpful supplies for making this pear cake. A good Springform Pan is a great choice for this cake but a regular 9 inch cake pan will work as well. I prefer non-stick in both cases but if your pans are not, just grease them well. The crystallized ginger is available at Trader Joe's but if you are an online shopper, I included an option for you. And finally, I don't pull out the mixer for this cake (though you could) so I included an ergonomic OXO whisk as well.

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Other Recipes for your Rosh Hashanah Menu

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