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Spiced Brown Butter Pear Cornmeal Cake (Regular & GF Versions)

This spiced pear and brown butter cake includes cornmeal for texture and moisture, and is absolute autumn perfection. It's moist and light, highlighting the juicy pear flavor and warm spices, and can be whipped up in just over an hour. This is the snacking cake we all need this fall!
I make this cake gluten-free and it's amazing, but you can easily make it with regular flour as well.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour can use GF 1:1 mix
  • 1/2 cup fine-ground yellow cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • Zest of 1 small lemon
  • 2 large eggs lightly whisked
  • 2 medium ripe Bartlett pears cut into thin wedges (see notes on size and skins)

For the simple syrup:

  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • A few drops of almond extract

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350° F. I put a round of parchment paper on the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, but didn't prepare the pan otherwise.
  • Slice your pears so they're ready to go.
  • Brown the butter: Cut the stick of butter into smaller pieces and add to a medium skillet. Heat on medium until it melts, then continue to heat and stir as it starts to foam, then bubble and crackle, and finally quiet down and the bottom will get dark quickly. Pull before it burns! Set aside to cool slightly.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 1 cup of the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom.
  • Add the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, lemon zest, vanilla, and almond extract. Gently fold in the pears.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Use 45 to 55 minutes as a starting place, but mine has been more like 55 to 60 because my pears were very ripe so were adding some extra moisture.
  • While the cake is baking, stir together the other 1/4 cup of sugar and the 1/4 cup water in a small pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, stir in almond extract, and set aside. Honestly you could make half this amount and still have some left over.
  • When the cake comes out of the oven, brush the top with the simple syrup. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream if desired.

Notes

You don't have to peel the pears, that's a preference texturally... mine were super ripe and the skin was so thin, they would have fallen apart if I tried to peel them.
I didn't use quite the whole two pears because mine were gigantic.  Use your judgment.
You really do need your pears to be beautifully ripe and juicy and flavorful.
To make this gluten-free, use your favorite 1:1 GF mix (like Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur), as long as it has xanthan gum.