Salted Caramel Pear Layer Cake

This Salted Caramel Pear Layer Cake features 3 thick layers of a warmly spiced pear cake that are sandwiched together with a deeply sweet homemade salted caramel sauce. The whole Salted Caramel Pear Layer Cake is then frosted with a simple but delicious vanilla buttercream and doused in some more salted caramel sauce!

How to Make Salted Caramel

Although making your own salted caramel may seem a bit daunting at first, it’s actually quite easy! Making it takes about 10 to 15 minutes of active cooking.

Start by throwing the sugar and water into a large-ish saucepan over medium heat. Allow the sugar to dissolve in the water, then increase the heat to medium-high and let the mixture turn amber. During this caramelization period, make sure you DO NOT stir it! Stirring the mixture can cause little sugar clumps/crystals to occur, leading to an unsmooth sauce. After the sugar mixture has turned amber in color, add the cubed butter in, whisking as you add it. The mixture will bubble up quite a bit, so using a big enough whisk is important. If the butter doesn’t seem to want to incorporate, just vigorously whisk it, off the heat, until it does! After the butter has been added and is well-incorporated, add the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt, then whisk until well-combined again. Now simply allow the caramel to cool to at least room-temperature before using!

The salted caramel can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 weeks, or in the freezer for about 3 months.

How to Make the Cake Layers for the Salted Caramel Pear Cake

1.Cream the sugar and butter together: Add the brown sugar and room-temperature butter to your stand mixer that is fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat these two together until they have become fluffy, lighter in color, and almost tripled in volume – about 3 minutes.

2. Add eggs and vanilla: Scrape down the sides of the stand mixer, then add your eggs in one at a time. It is important to ensure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next because we don’t want any unmixed eggy-bits in the cake! Then add vanilla, and mix again.

3. Mix dry ingredients together: In a separate bowl, add all your dry ingredients and whisk them to combine.

4. Add dry ingredients and buttermilk: Add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer in 3 additions, while alternating with the buttermilk.

5. Fold in pears: Pour the chopped pears into the stand mixer, then fold them into the batter with a spatula.

8. Add batter to pan and bake: Pour the batter into three 8” round cake tins, then throw into the oven to bake! Wait until the cake is fully cooled before frosting.

Filling & Frosting the Salted Caramel Pear Cake

Finishing this Salted Caramel Pear Cake isn’t much different than frosting any other layer cake. Start by placing your first layer onto your serving plate or cardboard cake circle. Now, this is where it’s a tad different – instead of spreading a layer of frosting across the top of the entire cake layer, you want to pipe a dam. What is a dam? A dam is a small piped layer of frosting that goes along the perimeter of the cake layer. This dam prevents any filling from escaping out of the centre of the cake. After piping this layer, spread about a 1/3 cup of salted caramel inside the dam. Place the next cake layer on top, then repeat the process. Place your last cake layer on top, then frost the entire outside of the cake in a “naked” style. Use the remaining salted caramel to drizzle on the outside of the cake.

What Kind of Pears

Like finding the right apple, finding the right pear for baking can be ultra-confusing. When making a this Salted Caramel Pear Cake, you want to look for a pear that will hold it’s shape well during the baking process. Some pears hold their shape extremely well when baked, while others will disintegrate into a jammy like texture.. Some varieties that are excellent for keeping their shapes are Bosc, Bartlett, or what I used in this recipe – Anjou Pears!

Get the Recipe: Salted Caramel Pear Cake

5 stars (2 reviews)

This Pear layer cake features warmly spiced layers of cake that are sandwiched together with salted caramel sauce

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Servings: 1 layer cake

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Ingredients

 

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Salted Caramel

• 1 ½ cup White Sugar
• 1/3 cup Water
• 9 tbsp Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature and cubed
• 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 ½ tsp Vanilla
• 1 ½ tsp Kosher Salt

Pear Cake Layers

• 3 cups Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature
• 3 cups Light Brown Sugar
• 8 Large Eggs
• 4 tsp Vanilla
• 5 1/3 cups All Purpose Flour,, measured correctly †
• 4 tsp Baking Powder
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 tsp Salt
• 4 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1 tsp Allspice
• 2 cup Full-Fat Buttermilk
• 4 Pears,, such as Anjou or Bosc, peeled and cut into ½” cubes

Vanilla Frosting

• 1 cup Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature
• 4 cups Confectioners Sugar
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• Pinch of Salt
• 3 tbsp Heavy Cream

Equipment

• Stand mixer

Instructions

 

Making the Salted Caramel

• In a large saucepan over medium heat add sugar and water. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture begins to boil.
• Once the mixture begins to boil turn the heat up to medium-high and allow the mixture to boil, ensuring not to stir it, until it turns amber in color (stirring the mixture will cause crystallization, so refrain from stirring).
• Once the mixture has become amber in color (360°F if using a candy thermometer), add the cubed butter and mix very vigorously to combine. (Be careful, however, because the mixture will bubble and rise up rapidly when you add the butter). If the butter seems to be separating from the caramel, remove it from the heat, then whisk vigorously until it comes together.
• Next, carefully add in the heavy cream (it will bubble rapidly again), vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth and well-combined. Remove the caramel from the heat, cover tightly, then allow to cool to room temperature before using.

Making the Pear Cake Layers

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8” springform cake pans with cooking spray and parchment.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter and brown sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy looking, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl. Next, add vanilla and beat until combined.
• In a separate medium sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt. Whisk together to combine.
• Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the stand mixer, mix on low until combined. Add ½ of the buttermilk and mix on low until combined. Continue alternating the flour and the buttermilk, until both have been completely added (finishing with the flour mixture). Fold in the pear pieces.
• Add the batter to the cake pans and place the cake into the oven to bake for 45 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before beginning the decorating process.

Making the Vanilla Frosting

• Add butter to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high until butter is doubled in volume, and looks light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
• Turn the stand mixer to low and slowly add the confectioners sugar and salt. Beat on medium until completely incorporated and smooth.
• Add in the vanilla and heavy cream. Beat until well-combined and fully incorporated.

Frosting & Finishing the Cake

• Level off each of the cake layers to remove any doming from the cakes.
• Place one cake layer onto your serving plate or onto a cardboard cake circle. Spread a small amount of frosting on the top of the layer, then pipe a frosting dam along the perimeter of the layer. Add 1/3 cup of Salted Caramel Sauce into the centre of the dam and spread it out evenly.
• Add the second layer on top, then repeat step 2.
• Add the final layer onto the cake, then frost the outside and top with the remaining frosting. Then drizzle the remaining salted caramel sauce onto the outside of the cake (you may need to heat the caramel up slightly in the microwave to get it to drizzling-consistency).

Notes

† to measure flour correctly, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then level off with a straight edge. Do not pack the flour into the cup, or scoop with the measuring cup straight from the bag/container. Alternatively, weigh the flour (1 cup = 120g or 4oz)

Cuisine: American

Course: Baking

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