A rich, super moist bundt cake made with brown sugar, diced pears and dried cherries, then dressed up with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
For Christmas I asked for Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan and I finally found time to bake my first recipe from it. I asked the Tuesdays with Dorie’s bakers what their favorite recipes from Baking were and was told this cake was definitely a must-try. (In fact, I have a list 16 must-try recipes that I’ve saved and can’t wait to try.)
I made a couple of small changes to the recipe. I didn’t have any buttermilk, so I substituted yogurt. I love dried cherries in baked goods and they were a perfect substitute for the raisins. I also baked it in two half size bundt pans so I could serve one and freeze one for later. Its’ so great to have dessert stowed away in the freezer to serve if company drops by.
I’m linking this post up to this month’s Monthly Mingle ”Berries and Cherries” hosted by Chris at Mele Cotte.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup yogurt, room temperature
- 2 medium pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350º F. *Butter a 9- to 10-inch (12 cup) Bundt pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. If your pan is not nonstick, dust the interior of the pan with flour, then tap out the excess. (Don't place the pan on a baking sheet - you want the oven's heat to circulate through the Bundt's inner tube.) *I use two half sized bundts sprayed with baking spray with flour.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture and the yogurt alternately - add the flour in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients). Mix only until the ingredients are incorporated and scrape down the bowl as needed. With a rubber spatula, stir in the pears and cherries. Scrape the batter into the pan(s) and smooth the top with the spatula.
- Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. (If the cake looks as if it's browning too fast, cover the top loosely with a foil tent.) I baked the half size bundts for 35 minutes.
- Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding, then cool to room temperature on the rack.
- When you are ready to serve, dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar.
Notes
slightly adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
More delicious bundt cake recipes:
Good-For-You Chocolate Pound Cake, Barbara Bakes
Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Barbara Bakes
Tiger Cake, Vintage Mixer
Lime Bundt Cake, Completely Delicious
Lemon Bliss Bundt, Food Librarian
Some of the links in my posts may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Thank you for supporting Barbara Bakes when you shop!
I love to bake, especially cookies, cakes, and pies. I’ll post my adventures in the kitchen, my favorite new recipes, as well as our family favorites.
I love bundt cakes! This looks delicious, bookmarking it.
This looks great Barbara. I love dried cherries, my mom brings me some from Michigan every time she comes down to visit here in Florida. I like that you can find them pretty easy now other than Michigan. I have a pan that has two attached smaller bundt pans that I have never used yet. So this is perfect!!
I also love dried cherries, so I ususally have some on hand. What a great idea to freeze one of the cakes. I need to find some of those half-sized pans! I know you do a lot of bundt cake baking…what brand of pans do you prefer?
I got the Nordic Ware Pro Form 6 cup Bundt Pan for Christmas this year. http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Pro-Form-Bundt/dp/B000BRGMUO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325209329&sr=8-1
Thank you!
Love this cake! I love using brown sugar in cakes, it makes them so moist and flavorful. My fav recipe is Dorie Greenspan’s Brown Sugar and blueberry bundt cake!
Yum! Such a fabulous cake. Love this!
Bundt cakes are wonderful and those are no exception. What a delightful combination of ingredients.
Cheers,
Rosa
The combination of cherries and pears sounds perfectly yummy! I love pears, but I don’t bake too many things that include pear in the ingredient list, except there is this one quick bread that I make every fall, that I really love, and it has pears in it. I don’t have that cookbook yet, so thank you for the recipe (idea) from it!!!
I do love Dories section on Bundt Cakes–they are all winners. I also love her coconut cake, it’s amazing.
The half size bundt pans are perfect, one to eat and one to share!
Love bundt cakes, and yours is no exception!
Dori has some great recipes in that book. Your take on her cake looks delicious.
Mimi
wow this is a keeper! I can’t wait to try this
This sounds amazing. I need to make bundt cakes more often! Pear and Cherry are two of my favorite flavors!
This just looks so good. I love baking Bundt cakes because they are fairly simple and go a long way.
this looks incredible Barbara. I love the combination of pear and cherries!
I have a few pears in my fridge waiting to be used up, this might just be perfect. I’m not a cherry fan though. What else do you think would work well or could I just use the pears on their own?
Hi Claire, the pears are very mild tasting in the cake so any dried fruit that adds a little bit of flavor and texture would be nice. The original recipe calls for prunes sniped in pieces or dark or golden raisins.
I came over to find some good recipes to make and the first one, I look at is just for me. Please, don’t tell me, you weren’t thinking of me when you baked this.
This is just the kind of cake, we love.
I actually love that you subbed dried cherries in place of raisins. I prefer dried cherries over raisins any day. This cake looks so dense and delicious.
This looks wonderful! And, it’s a Dorie recipe, so how can you so wrong? It’s going to rock the Monthly Mingle. Thanks so much!
This bundt cake looks perfect to have with a cup of coffee or tea.
Your cake looks fantastic, moist and perfect. I love that you subbed cherries for the raisins. We don’t care for raisins in baked goods at all.
I didn’t even know you could buy half size bundt pans Barbara. I’m really behind!
I really enjoy putting fruit in my baking.. this really looks delish!!
Une délicieuse gourmandise matinale
Je te souhaite une excellente journée
Valérie.
This makes me really hungry! I really wanted to try baking this maybe if I already can master it…Thanks for the recipe and instructions…
This looks so so so good! I bet your house smelled amazing when you made this.
I love that cookbook and have only made a handful of recipes from it – the last one being the cake on the cover (amazing!). I would much prefer dried cherries rather than raisins any day! This sounds wonderful.
Love Bundt cakes Barbara. Never baked them with pear I can see how it can make it so much more decadent. Would love a slice with a cup of tea mid afternoon, today, any day!
Perfect looking bundt!
I love the combination of the pears and cherries. And that is a beautiful looking bundt my goodness!
This would be perfect any time of day — especially with a soothing cup of tea or coffee.
Oh how I adore Bundt cakes! The pairing of pears with dried cherries is compelling.
A spectacular cake for early spring!
I love baking Bundt cakes! The look beautiful – yours are amazing! I love the flavors you combined here. Yum!
This looks so beautiful! Love the combination of cherry and pear.
Yummy, sounds really delicious! Would love this with a cup of coffee!
Barb, I love the combo of pears and cherries in this bundt. As usual, you gave us a beautiful and delicious treat that’s not only pleasing on the palate, but on the eyes too
I need to make more bundts. I also need to find some half-bundt pans!
Dorie’s recipes never fail! Pear and cherry sound like a divine combination Barb! Your bundt looks great.
I love Dorie’s recipes! The cake looks beautiful!
These cake looks SO moist!! Whoooaaa!! I want to grab it out of the computer and devour it! Love this Barbara!
This looks like an amazing cake! I love bundt cakes, they look gorgeous! Loving this recipe.
This looks great, but where does one get half-size Bundt pans for a reasonable price? I’ve never even heard of them.
I borrowed Dorie’s baking book from the library a couple of years ago and loved it. I really must buy a copy. This bundt cake sounds wonderful!
it looks SO moist, i love it, perfect for tea time!
This would be perfect for a dinner party!
That looks fantastic mum and 16 must trys is a great ratio!
And adding cherries and yogurt is a great idea 
xxx
That looks delish!! So moist – am almost drooling here.
Your version of this cake looks amazing!!! Love pear in baked goodies
Wow, I’m sure the marriage between the pear and cherries creates an amazing combination. I should get some half-sized bundt pans too so I can save some in the freezer!
You never fail to inspire me, baking-wise – WISH I were half as talented as you at baking. But then again, I’d weigh 300 pounds!!!
Barbara, saw the title of the recipe and HAD to come and gawk! Gorgeous! I’ve been wondering what to bake today and this looks so perfect!
I have this cookbook too and dont bake enough from it. That’s a strong recommendation coming from the TWD folks, I’ll have to try this recipe too!
We absolutely love your blog and find many of your post’s to be just what I’m looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write content available for you? I wouldn’t mind composing a post or elaborating on a few of the subjects you write in relation to here. Again, awesome web log!My spouse and I stumbled over here by a different web address and thought I may as well check things out. I like what I see so now i am following you. Look forward to exploring your web page yet again.Our question to posting an article, how do you convey your thoughts into a post? Thanks for any reply. Your writing is humbley appreciated.