Fast Answer
This cake has a reputation for sticking, and the fix was always in the original recipe: butter and flour both loaf pans, not just butter. That one missing step is probably why so many readers ran into trouble with it over the years.
Start Here
- This makes two loaves, not one: Butter and flour both 9×5-inch pans before you start mixing — that flour dusting is what actually stops the sticking.
- Dice the fruit evenly: About ½-inch pieces, so it distributes through the layers without sinking.
- It's built in layers, not folded: Batter, fruit, cinnamon sugar, repeat — read through the assembly steps once before you start so you're not improvising mid-bake.
- Budget the time: 30 minutes of prep, 60 to 70 minutes in the oven — lean toward the higher end if your oven runs cool.
Why This Works
- Three fruits, three jobs: Granny Smith holds its shape and adds tartness, McIntosh breaks down and adds soft, sweet pockets, and Bartlett pears bring the moisture that keeps this cake good for days.
- The layering does the work of folding: Batter, fruit, cinnamon sugar, repeat — every slice ends up with a consistent ratio of cake to fruit instead of some bites getting more than others.
- Leaving fruit exposed on top is intentional: The last layer of fruit is left partly uncovered on purpose, and that's what caramelizes in the oven and gives the top its texture.
- Oil keeps it moist for days: Oil stays liquid at room temperature; butter doesn't — part of why this cake is better the day after baking than the day of.
This Was Geoff's Cake Before It Was Mine
I don’t know exactly where Geoff got this recipe, only that it showed up at potluck after potluck until it was simply understood to be his. He gave it to me years ago, and somewhere across years of retyping and editing this page, the real method got lost — a phantom butter step here, a missing ingredient there. I went back to Geoff for the original.
What’s below is the real recipe: two loaves, layered with fruit and cinnamon sugar, not the quietly broken version that had been live for who knows how long.
Apple Pear Cake
Equipment
- 2 9 x 5 inch baking pans
Ingredients
Fruit
- 2 Granny Smith apples cored and diced
- 2 McIntosh apples peeled, cored and diced
- 2 Barlett pears peeled, cored, and diced
Dry Ingredients
- 3¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
Cinnamon Sugar Layer
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- pinch freshly grated nutmeg
For the Pans
- softened butter
- flour for dusting
Finishing
- Confectioners' (powdered) sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9×5-inch loaf pans, then dust with flour and tap out the excess — this is the step that actually prevents the sticking this cake is known for.
- Peel, core, and dice the apples and pears into roughly ½-inch pieces. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the oil and granulated sugar until well combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla, orange juice, and orange zest.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined — don't overmix, or the crumb turns dense.
- In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon sugar layer ingredients: sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Divide one-third of the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar, then top with half the diced fruit.
- Spread another one-third of the batter over the fruit — an offset spatula or the back of a spoon works well, and it doesn't need to fully cover the fruit.
- Top with the remaining fruit and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar.
- Finish with the remaining batter, spreading it gently to cover most of the fruit while leaving a few pieces visible — that exposed fruit caramelizes slightly in the oven, which is what gives the top its texture.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. If the tops brown too quickly in the last 15 minutes, tent loosely tent with foil.
- Cool the loaves in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
What Most Cooks Get Wrong
- Problem: Greasing the pans with just butter, or worse, cooking spray, and skipping the flour dusting.
- What happens: Butter alone isn't enough grip for a batter this loaded with fruit and sugar — the loaf tears or sticks on the way out, which is the exact complaint that's shown up in the comments on this recipe for years.
- Fix: Butter the pans, then dust with flour and tap out the excess, the way the recipe actually calls for.
What to Serve With This
- Vanilla ice cream: Cold against the warm spice, and it doesn't compete with the fruit.
- Fresh whipped cream: Light enough that it doesn't compete with the fruit.
- Sharp cheddar: An old pairing with apple desserts for a reason — try a slice alongside.
- Coffee or chai: Both play up the cinnamon and orange notes.
- Wine: A Riesling or late-harvest dessert wine works well here.
Storage and Make-Ahead
- Room temperature: Tightly wrapped, up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Up to 5 days — the flavor improves overnight as the fruit settles into the crumb.
- Freezer: Whole loaves or individual slices, up to 3 months.
- Built-in make-ahead: This recipe makes two loaves on purpose — freeze one the day you bake, no extra effort required.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best apples for this cake? Granny Smith and McIntosh, as called for in the recipe — one holds its shape, the other breaks down into soft, sweet pockets through the crumb.
What pears work best? Bartlett — they bring more moisture than either apple, which is a big part of why this cake holds up for days.
Why two loaf pans instead of one? The batter and fruit are built for a bigger yield than a single pan can hold — 16 to 20 servings — and it doubles as a built-in make-ahead: bake both, freeze one.
Why does this cake stick to the pan so often? It shouldn’t, if the pans are prepped right. The recipe calls for buttering and flouring the pans, not just greasing them — that dusting of flour is what actually prevents sticking.
Why did my cake turn out gummy or too wet? Usually overripe fruit or underbaking — check with a toothpick rather than relying on the timer alone, since fruit moisture varies batch to batch.
Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, and it’s better the next day — the fruit’s moisture has time to settle into the crumb overnight.
Can I freeze this cake? Yes — whole loaves or individual slices, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months.
Should the pears be peeled? Yes — pear skin can turn slightly chewy once baked.
What does the orange zest actually add if I can’t taste orange? It brightens the fruit flavor in the background without making the cake taste citrusy — it’s doing quiet work, not announcing itself.
Is there an egg substitute that works here? Ground flaxseed (1 tablespoon mixed with 2½ tablespoons of water per egg, then rested for 5 minutes) is the closest swap, though the crumb will be a little denser.
- Wondering why the pan prep matters this much? why the pan is non-negotiable covers the same principle in a completely different recipe.
- Need an egg or dairy swap for this one? cooking ingredient substitutions covers more options than the FAQ above.
- The "don't overmix" advice in this recipe isn't unique to fruit cakes — mixing techniques for baking explains why it matters everywhere.
- Still troubleshooting a baking question this page didn't answer? difficult baking questions, answered is a good next stop.
- If you liked the warm-spice angle here, cinnamon coffee cake with chocolate chips is in the same family.
- For another fruit dessert built around what's in season, peach cobbler is worth a look.
6 Responses
Thanks..im going to try this recipe this weekend..
Hi there,
Loved the Reluctant Gourmet story. I live in Philadelphia as well. I am a pure vegetarian and not too crazy about working with eggs. Can you suggest an alternative to eggs in desserts?
This cake is easily one of my new favorites! The recipe was great and I had no problem with sticking. Thanks for sharing it!
Thank you for posting this great recipe!
I’ve been making this for years now and just pulled it out again to make while on a family trip at an air bnb. It’s easy (no mixer or fancy Ingredients required), and is delicious for dessert or brunch. Good quality fruit makes all the difference (as with all fruit desserts).
Thanks agein
Thanks, Lee for letting me know.
cake rose much higher than picture and needed more fruit