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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Published: Nov 6, 2018 · Modified: May 6, 2022 by joskitchenlarder · 25 Comments. · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Easy Pear and Fresh Ginger Cake (Vegan)

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Bookmark Bookmarked!
    Slice of pear and fresh ginger cake on a plate with a fork.
    Close up of pear and ginger cake.
    Pear and fresh ginger cake on a piece of parchment.

    Easy Pear and Fresh Ginger Cake is quick to make, light & really moist. Combination of sweet, sticky pears and hint of spice from fresh ginger is divine!

    Pear and fresh ginger cake, pears, cinnamon , ginger and sugar behind it.

    If you're a fan of cakes with fresh fruit you will love my Pear and Fresh Ginger Cake.

    It's super quick and easy to prepare, really delicious and satisfying either on its own with a cup of tea or with some vegan cream or ice cream as a full-blown dessert.

    Jump to:
    • ✔️ Why you will love this recipe!
    • 📝 Ingredients and substitutes
    • 🔪 How to make Easy Pear and Fresh Ginger Cake
    • 🍽 Equipment
    • 🥡 Storage
    • 💭 Useful Tips
    • ❓Frequently Asked Questions
    • 😋 More fruity bakes you might enjoy
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ✔️ Why you will love this recipe!

    • Vegan friendly.
    • Quick and easy, perfect for impromptu baking.
    • No mixer necessary.
    • Using simple ingredients & fresh, seasonal fruit.
    • Super moist and really delicious.
    • Perfect recipe to use your glut of pears.

    📝 Ingredients and substitutes

    Here's what you will need to make my Easy Pear & Fresh Ginger Cake:

    Ingredients for making the cake.

    Fresh Pears - Use your favourite pears here, I went for Conference Pears but Comice, Williams (or Bartlett in the US & Canada) will be great too.

    Make sure the pears you're using are ripe but still firm and not mushy. If they'e on the smaller side simply peel, core and quarter them. Alternatively and if you've got larger pears, simply cut them into slices that are not too thick or too thin.

    Fresh Ginger - I decided to go for fresh ginger in my cake and it worked a treat! I thought that two teaspoons of fresh ginger would make for quite a spicy cake but it wasn't the case. All you get with that amount is gentle warmth and flavour of ginger so if you want a bit more spice you might want to up the quantity to 3 teaspoons or even more.

    If you don't have fresh ginger to hand, stem ginger in syrup will work really nicely too!

    Vegan Yogurt - I use Plain, Greek Style Alpro Yogurt (UK) but any vegan yogurt will work.

    Soya Milk - My preferred plant based milk to use in baking.

    Apple Cider Vinegar - For that little boost to help the cake rise. You could use lemon juice or white wine vinegar instead.

    Baking Powder + Baking Soda - Our raising agent.

    Brown Sugar - Either light or dark, it's up to you.

    Ground Cinnamon - It pairs really well with ginger and as it's only a small amount it's definitely not overpowering. Feel free to increase the amount if you're after that cinnamon hit.

    Ground Ginger - I've started adding some ground ginger to this cake for that little extra spice but feel free to leave it out. Suggested teaspoon doesn't make it spicy so don't worry.

    Oil - I like to use neutral oil like light olive oil or rapeseed here. Sunflower oil will work well too.

    Demerara Sugar - To be sprinkled on top of the cake.

    Close up of pear and ginger cake.

    🔪 How to make Easy Pear and Fresh Ginger Cake

    Ingredient quantities & detailed instructions to be found in recipe card at the bottom of the post.

    Preheat the oven to 180C(Fan)/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line the bottom of your cake tin with baking paper.

    Put flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger (if using) and sugar in a large bowl and mix gently with a whisk.

    Alternatively, sieve all the dry ingredients (with the exception of sugar) into a large bowl, add sugar and give it all a quick mix to incorporate.

    Mixing dry ingredients in a bowl.

    Peel and finely grate fresh ginger.

    Peel, core and quarter or slice the pears (depending on the size).

    In another bowl mix together vegan yogurt, soya milk, vinegar, oil and grated ginger until incorporated.

    Grating fresh ginger, slicing pears and mixing wet ingredients.

    Make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Fold in gently until fully incorporated but don't overmix.

    Pour cake batter into prepared cake tin.

    Arrange sliced pears gently on top of the cake batter, pushing them in ever so slightly.

    Sprinkle over some demerara sugar and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.

    Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool slightly in the tin before taking it out onto the cooling rack to cool completely.

    Mixing cake batter and cake before and after baking.

    🍽 Equipment

    As this cake is super simple to put together you don't even need a mixer.

    One thing I would recommend here is a good, non-stick 20cm/8inch springform tin.

    🥡 Storage

    This cake will keep in the airtight container for 2-3 days.

    As it contains fresh fruit, if it's really warm in your kitchen or in the summer, you might want to keep it in the fridge to prevent it from spoiling.

    I wouldn't recommend freezing.

    💭 Useful Tips

    Feel free to adjust the amount of fresh ginger you use. I've suggested 2 teaspoon which give gentle ginger flavour to the cake. If you're after more spice feel free to experiment with more ginger.

    Don't overmix the batter. Be gentle with your mixing using folding motion to incorporate all the ingredients. Make sure there's no visible flour left but be gentle.

    Feel free to cut your pears into chunks if you prefer, it's totally up to you. Slices are for visual effect only.

    Enjoy it warm. I love to give my slice of cake few seconds in the microwave before serving. It turns it into proper pudding especially if served with ice cream.

    Slice of pear and fresh ginger cake on a plate with a fork.

    ❓Frequently Asked Questions

    How to serve Pear and Ginger Cake?

    This simple cake is absolutely delicious on its own or with a nice cup of tea.

    You can also serve it slightly warm with vegan cream, ice cream or even custard if you're after more elaborate dessert.

    Is this cake gluten-free?

    No it isn't. However, feel free to use your favourite gluten-free flour to make it so. Also make sure that your baking powder and baking soda are also certified gluten-free.

    Have you tried my Easy Pear and Fresh Ginger Cake?
    Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below and share your views or tips in the comments.

    😋 More fruity bakes you might enjoy

    • Crumble in a bowl & large serving dish.
      Pear Crumble with Granola Topping (Vegan)
    • Rhubarb muffins & three rhubarb stalks.
      Rhubarb Muffins (Vegan)
    • Vegan blood orange upside down cake on a cooling rack.
      Vegan Blood Orange Upside Down Cake
    • Whole raspberry cake with fresh mint & flaked almonds.
      Raspberry Cake (Vegan, Gluten Free)

    📋 Recipe

    Pear and fresh ginger cake on a piece of parchment.
    Print Pin
    4.93 from 14 votes

    Easy Pear and Fresh Ginger Cake (Vegan)

    Easy Pear and Fresh Ginger Cake is quick to make, light & beautifully moist. Combination of sweet, sticky pears and hint of spice from fresh ginger is divine! Perfect on its own with a cuppa or with some ice cream for more elaborate dessert!
    Course Afternoon Tea, Cake, Dessert, Treat
    Cuisine British, International
    Keyword fresh ginger, pear and ginger cake, pear cake, vegan cake

    Equipment

    • Round, 20cm/8inch springform cake tin*
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes minutes
    Servings 8 slices
    Calories 340kcal
    Author Jo Allison
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 180 g plain flour
    • 100 g vegan yogurt I use Alpro Greek Style Plain Yogurt (UK).
    • 100 ml rapeseed or light olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger Feel free to use more for extra spice, with 2 teaspoon the cake is not spicy at all. You could also use stem ginger instead of fresh.
    • 130 g brown sugar Either light or dark is fine.
    • 100 ml soya milk
    • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar Can be substituted with lemon juice or white wine vinegar.
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Feel free to increase the amount.
    • 6 small pears (approx 400g) cored, peeled and quartered or sliced
    • 1 Tbsp Demerara sugar to sprinkle over the top
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger optional but recommended

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 180C(Fan)/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line the bottom of your cake tin with baking paper.
    • Put flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger (if using) and sugar in a large bowl and mix gently with a whisk. Alternatively, sieve all the dry ingredients (with the exception of sugar) into a large bowl, add sugar and give it all a quick mix to incorporate.
    • Peel and finely grate fresh ginger.
    • Peel, core and quarter or slice the pears (depending on the size).
    • In another bowl mix together vegan yogurt, soya milk, vinegar, oil and grated ginger until incorporated.
    • Make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Fold in gently until fully incorporated but don't overmix.
    • Pour cake batter into prepared cake tin.
    • Arrange sliced pears gently on top of the cake batter, pushing them in ever so slightly.
    • Sprinkle over some demerara sugar and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.
    • Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool slightly in the tin before taking it out onto the cooling rack to cool completely. 
    • Enjoy on its own or with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream!

    Notes

    • Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (based on 8 servings) and should be treated as a rough guideline only. 
    • You could substitute freshly grated ginger with the same amount of grated or really finely chopped stem ginger.
    • Store for 2-3 days in the airtight container. If your kitchen is really warm or is middle of the summer, keep it in the fridge. 
    • Not suitable for freezing. 
    TIPS:
    Feel free to adjust the amount of fresh ginger you use. I've suggested 2 teaspoon which give gentle ginger flavour to the cake. If you're after more spice feel free to experiment with more ginger.
    Don't overmix the batter. Be gentle with your mixing using folding motion to incorporate all the ingredients. You want no more visible flour.
    Feel free to cut your pears into chunks if you prefer, it's totally up to you. Slices are for visual effect only.
    Enjoy it warm. I love to give my slice of cake few seconds in the microwave before serving. It turns it into proper pudding especially if served with ice cream.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Pear and Fresh Ginger Cake (Vegan)
    Amount Per Serving (0 g)
    Calories 340 Calories from Fat 117
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 13g20%
    Saturated Fat 1g5%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
    Monounsaturated Fat 8g
    Sodium 83mg3%
    Potassium 248mg7%
    Carbohydrates 54g18%
    Fiber 4g16%
    Sugar 29g32%
    Protein 3g6%
    Vitamin A 78IU2%
    Vitamin C 7mg8%
    Calcium 86mg9%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Tag me @Joskitchenlarder or use hashtag #joskitchenlarder!

    Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in November 2018 and then tested and converted into fully vegan recipe in May 2022 with updated process photos, text and layout.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.93 from 14 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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    1. Sairah says

      May 15, 2021 at 9:11 am

      5 stars
      Hi Jo,
      I have just made this cake for a friend! Today is Eid and tomorrow she will have a brunch.
      I slightly tweaked the recipe, adding 1 tsp fresh ginger paste in the cake with 1 tsp cardamom powder.
      Then I have made a glaze, to pour over the square cake with melting store bought frosting.
      Will put crystallised ginger, ontop to style the glaze.
      The recipe was great.
      The house smells divine.
      Have to stop my family, from sneaking a piece of the gift!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        May 15, 2021 at 10:55 am

        Hi Sairah, Thank you so much for your lovely comment, it made my morning! Happy Eid and I hope your friend enjoys the cake. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Rose Halliday says

      January 19, 2021 at 7:42 pm

      5 stars
      I made this cake and thought it was incredible! So fluffy, light and moist, and I think that using oil and yoghurt must make it this way. It was lovely!!! I had to cook it for a further 13 minutes than what the recipe suggested, and I would also suggest adding ground ginger to the cake as well as the grated fresh ginger if you would like a more prominent ginger flavour, but other than that, absolutely fantastic, and I will be making it again. Thank you ever so much for sharing this recipe it is probably the best I have ever made!!!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        January 19, 2021 at 9:44 pm

        I'm so pleased to hear that Rose. Thank you so much for such a great feedback! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Kate says

      June 23, 2020 at 4:22 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Jo! This cake looks so delicious! I absolutely love ginger! I wonder could i arrange the pears in concentric rings at the base of the cake, then pour the batter over, and bake in same way - then tip out upside down - do you think that would work just as well?
      For a dessert, would it be nice served warm with hot caramel sauce and fresh dollop of cream, or would that be too much do you think?

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        June 24, 2020 at 8:56 am

        Hi Kate, I'm so pleased you like the look of the cake. I don't see why making it more into upside down cake wouldn't work, you can definitely give it a try. Make sure you don't forget generous sprinkle of demerara sugar first before you arrange your pears, that should give you lovely caramelisation. As for the accompaniments, I think you can really go to town here and serve it with whatever you fancy. Hot caramel sauce and cream sound lovely. I hope you enjoy the cake and please let me know how it turned out. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Kat (The Baking Explorer) says

      November 25, 2018 at 4:40 pm

      5 stars
      Pear and ginger are such a fabulous combination, your cake looks amazing!

      Reply
    5. Mayuri Patel says

      November 13, 2018 at 4:16 pm

      5 stars
      my mouth is literally watering looking at the so delicious, soft fruity cake. With ginger flavor, its just the right kind of dessert for a cold evening. Would love it with some hot custard.

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        November 13, 2018 at 7:47 pm

        Thank you so much Mayuri! 🙂 It is a perfect cold weather cake and some hot custard would definitely work a treat. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Jenny walters says

      November 10, 2018 at 1:57 pm

      5 stars
      Goodness this looks incredible. Warm fruited cakes with cream is perhaps my favourite dessert of all time. So I'm off to pin this beaut xx

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        November 13, 2018 at 8:19 pm

        Thank you Jenny 🙂 Mmm, cream is definitely another delicious serving option. 🙂 xx

        Reply
    7. [email protected] says

      November 08, 2018 at 2:15 pm

      I love rustic autumn cakes like this and the addition of fresh ginger sounds gorgeous. I think I'll have mine warm with custard!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        November 09, 2018 at 4:35 pm

        Aww thank you Anna! 🙂 Warm slice with some custard sounds just the ticket! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Jenny Paulin says

      November 07, 2018 at 9:41 pm

      5 stars
      this looks perfect Jo. I too love an easy cake that incorporates fruit and spice and looks so tempting too. I wouldn't mind trying a slice......or two!
      Thank you for linking to #BakeoftheWeek x

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        November 09, 2018 at 4:31 pm

        Thank you so much Jenny! 🙂 I am a little bit in love with this cake at the moment lol x

        Reply
    9. Anca says

      November 07, 2018 at 7:37 pm

      Your cake has a lovely texture and some really delicious sounding flavours. Delish!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        November 07, 2018 at 8:18 pm

        Thank you Anca! It was devoured in a day and I've got request for more as soon as fruit and veg delivery box lands on our doorstep with some more pears! 🙂

        Reply
    10. Choclette says

      November 07, 2018 at 5:40 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my, that does look good Jo. I can attest pear and ginger work wonderfully well together. Love these sort of bakes and yours looks totally scrumptious. #CookBlogShare

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        November 07, 2018 at 8:16 pm

        Thank you Choclette! I saw so many cake recipes before with pears and ginger and thought they sounded really good but it took me a while to give it a go myself! I really don't know what I was waiting for! lol

        Reply
    11. Jacqui Bellefontaine says

      November 07, 2018 at 2:49 pm

      5 stars
      I love the combination of Pear and ginger in a cake and this one looks delicious I could eat a slice now . Warm with icecream would be good.

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        November 07, 2018 at 8:11 pm

        Thank you Jacqui! They do work so well together and yes I wish I had some left for little mid week dessert too! 🙂

        Reply
    12. mimi rippee says

      November 07, 2018 at 2:33 pm

      Pear and ginger are such a wonderful combination. And the cake is obviously moist, which I love. Wondering if crystallized ginger bits would add something as well?

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        November 07, 2018 at 8:08 pm

        Thanks Mimi! I would say you can add stem or crystallised ginger instead of or together with fresh root ginger for that extra kick. Both stem and crystallised ginger will add some texture and sweetness too. I think that would be the main difference and I think it would work quite nice. I went for simplicity with this one but might go for some chopped stem ginger when I bake it next time.

        Reply
    13. Corina Blum says

      November 07, 2018 at 10:01 am

      5 stars
      This cake looks delicious Jo! I think it would be fantastic served warm as a dessert too. I'm craving some now in fact! Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        November 07, 2018 at 7:55 pm

        Thank you Corina! I was so happy with how it turned out! In fact, I have got some more pears coming in this week's fruit and veg box so I can make it again! 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi! I’m Jo and this blog is where I share lots of simple, family friendly and mostly plant based recipes we enjoy eating and now you can easily recreate at home.

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