This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Vegan Pear Upside Down Cake. This amazing Vegan Upside Down Cake needs just 1 Bowl and 40 mins. Use other fruits for variation. Vegan Nutfree Soyfree Recipe. Glutenfree option. Jump to Recipe
I had some pears leftover after entertaining my niece recently and whipped up this upside down cake that she could take along. For some reason hubbs isn’t fond of pears and lately they’ve started giving me headaches if eaten raw. Go figure. But everything works out for everyone in this cake! A gooey caramelized top, soft delicious cake, a dollop of whipped coconut cream.
The pears are sliced and arranged on the bottom of a pan. Maple syrup or brown sugar helps them caramelize during baking. Then a simple vanilla batter on top. Bake until done, then serve with some whipped coconut cream or vanilla ice cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Delish! Use the same method to make pineapple upside down cake or use peaches or apple.
More Cakes and bakes
- Cinnamon Swirl Cake
- Eggnog Pound Cake
- Easy Coffee Cake – Cinnamon Streusel Cake GF option
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Marble Cake
- Applesauce spice cake GF option
- Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Pumpkin Frosting. GF option
Gluten-free
- GF Cashew Butter Chocolate Marble Cake.
- Gluten-free Cinnamon Roll Bread yeast-free.
- GF Carrot Banana Bread – Also grain-free.
- Sweet Potato Crumb Cake. GF
Step by Step Photos:
Assemble the ingredients. Line the bake pan with parchment or grease really well. Arrange the pear slices. Drizzle maple syrup or sprinkle brown sugar all over.
Mix all the wet ingredients. Then add dry and mix to make a smooth batter. Pour over the pears, even it out and bake.
Vegan Pear Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- 2 Pears, , thinly sliced (1/4 inch thick
- 3 tbsp maple syrup , or brown sugar for more caramelized, or half of each
Cake:
Wet:
- 3/4 cup non dairy milk, such as almond, soy
- 1/4 cup pear puree or applesauce, (I usually blend up leftover pear and use it)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice or chai spice, or cinnamon + cardamom
Dry:
- 1.5 cups flour, (I use a mix of all purpose and wheat), see notes for Glutenfree
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Line a 8 or 9 inch cake pan with parchment at the bottom. Arrange pear slices as you like. Pour the maple syrup (or sprinkle the sugar) all over the pear slices. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180C)
- Blend the remaining pear in a blender with 1-2 tsp of water until it is like applesauce. Measure out 1/4 cup of the puree and use in the cake. Or use applesauce.
- Mix all the wet ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
- Mix the baking powder, baking soda and salt into the flour. Add 1.25 cups flour to the wet and mix in. Add 1-2 tbsp more at a time to make a thick batter, not too stiff but not too flowy.
- Pour gently on top of the pear slices in the cake pan and spread to even it out.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick from the enter comes out clean.
- Cool for 15 mins, then remove cake by inverting it over a dish. Carefully peel off the parchment.
- Sprinkle a good pinch of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice or other fave spice blend on the pears. Cool for another 10 mins, then slice and serve with whipped coconut cream or vegan ice cream
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This cake is a go-to for me and it never disappoints. So good!! I usually double the quantity and use half wholemeal, half white spelt flour. I use coconut sugar which adds a beautiful caramel-like flavor.
yay! so glad you enjoyed
I make this recipe multiple times every year when it’s pear season and it’s always delicious! I made it for my coworkers this week and I had multiple people come find me to tell me how good the cake was!!!
awesome!
I had some pears that had gone soft and needed using up. My 2 year old son is gluten, dairy, corn and egg intolerant and I struggle to find recipes that taste good and work well. This one is a winner!!! Everyone loved it. So moist and not too dense. I used the suggested gluten free substitutions (rice flour, almond meal, potato starch and flaxseed meal). Definitely saving the recipe to make again. Thank you 😊
yay! so glad it worked for your son and that everyone else enjoyed as well!
Delicious and easy to make. Thank you 😊
🙂
Hi! Curious to know if this cake freezes well?
Because of the fresh pears it is not recommended that you freeze. They will lose their great texture if frozen and then thawed.
Thanks for this recipe! Would Bob’s Red Mill GF flour work as a replacement flour for a nut free, GF modification? Looking forward to baking!
I haven’t tried it. It might work. Top it with some cinnamon sugar as gf flours tend to dry out while baking and a topping helps keep some Moisture in
how can i modify the vanilla cake to a coconut cake?
sure – just substitute coconut extract for vanilla and some shredded coconut in first before you pour in the batter !
Can I use any vanilla muffin recipe for this? Should I decrease the amount of liquid considering some liquid will release from the pears while cooking?
I haven’t tried that ….
Pears were a star! Cake went over really well at the party! Not too sweet and the spices (cardamom and cinnamon) went over well. I’d add the spices to the dry ingredients which I usually do as it clumped in the wet so there were chunks in the cake. Lower stars may be user error issues other than the spice clumps. Questions related to texture and appearance: Is there a way to have the smooth edge of the cake, as mine was really lumpy and ugly? How do I adjust if the cake is really gummy?
Yes mix them in the dry. Hmm what do you mean by gummy. Was the baked cake gummy? If the batter was too thick, you can thin it out by adding 2-3 tsp warm non dairy milk. A float batter will settle in a well greased container to take the shape of the container
This cake is fabulous! I received a box of pears as a gift and this recipe was a perfect compliment. I brought it to a dinner party and people were amazed how delicious a vegan cake could be! Lol 😂
Made it again the next week to share with family and they ate it in one sitting. Thank you for sharing another lovely recipe!
nice ‘regifting’ !!
This was delicious! I used both a little bit of brown sugar and maple syrup over the pears, subbed canned coconut milk for the alternative dairy (realized halfway in I had no milk) and drizzled a sweet cream made from the leftover coconut milk over it at the end. It did seem a bit too stiff so I added a little extra applesauce to thin it out. Cake was perfect, not too sweet. Thank you!!
good to know. sounds nice
A delicious pear cake.
I have just made it using marmalade instead of maple syrup as I was out of the ms. It gave a mild citrus kick accentuated by the lemon juice.
My go to Sunday afternoon treat.
I’m also making the pear puree with some star anise and freezing some for the next cake to speed up the process.
Yummy
Thanks Richa👍
yay!