Pear and Almond Olive Oil Cake Recipe — Moist Autumn Dessert

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray that contains flour and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs at high speed until foamy and uniform in color, about 1 minute. With the mixer on medium, slowly stream in the granulated sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until the mixture is thick and pale, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the almond flour, milk, lemon zest, vanilla, and almond extract and beat at medium speed until combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold this dry mixture into the egg mixture just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Cut the pear in half, remove the core and stem end, and slice each half into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Group the slices into sets of 4–5, fan them, and gently arrange them on top of the batter. Brush the pear slices lightly with lemon juice to prevent browning. Scatter the sliced almonds around the edge of the batter and between the fanned pears.

Bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 50–55 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve warm or cool completely on the pan base set on a wire rack.

If desired, before serving cut a 7-inch circle of parchment and place it in the center of the cake. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the exposed edges using a fine-mesh sieve, then remove the parchment circle.