German Pear Cake with Fresh Pears & Custard

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This easy traditional German Pear Cake with fresh pears, Vanilla Custard and Crème Fraîche combines juicy pears, walnuts, and vanilla filling — a cozy fall and winter dessert favorite.

You will love this simple German pear cake recipe made with fresh pears. It is perfect when the evenings start to cool and you want to curl up with a cozy dessert — creamy, fruity, and lightly nutty — this German Pear Cake recipe is exactly what I want with a cup of coffee.

This recipe is based on my grandmother’s classic Birnenkuchen — a German pear cake layered with a vanilla pudding filling. The original version uses Schmand, a German dairy product that’s somewhere between sour cream and crème fraîche. Since Schmand isn’t widely available outside of Germany, we use crème fraîche instead. It gives the same smooth, creamy texture with a rich, mild flavor — perfect for baking.

A hint of almond extract in the shortcrust base and a splash of Amaretto in the filling make this cake beautifully aromatic. Under the pears hides a thin layer of walnuts mixed with brown sugar — it adds texture, keeps the crust crisp, and gives every bite a warm, nutty note.

Tips & Variations

• For a nut-free version, skip the walnut layer or use ground almonds or hazelnuts instead.
• Add a pinch of cinnamon to the filling for a cozier fall flavor.
• You can use canned pears — just drain them well before adding.
• The cake tastes even better the next day once it’s fully set.
• The original German recipe uses vanilla pudding powder (Dr. Oetker). For U.S. readers, substitute 6 Tbsp cornstarch +2 tsp vanilla extract for the two pudding packets.

Storage

Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze individual slices for up to 2 months — just thaw at room temperature before serving.

Which pan size are you using?

I make this cake in my trusted 10 inch Kaiser Springform

Print

German Pear Cake With Vanilla Custard & Walnuts

This easy traditional German Pear Cake with Vanilla Custard and Crème Fraîche combines juicy pears, walnuts, and vanilla filling — a cozy fall and winter dessert favorite.

(26 cm / 10-inch springform pan)

Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Keyword german pear cake

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients

Shortcrust Pastry

• 225 g 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 50 g 6 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 125 g 9 Tbsp cold butter, diced
• 1 egg large
• 2 –3 drops almond extract
• 1 pinch salt
• Walnut Layer
• 100 g 1 cup ground walnuts
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar

Filling

• 3 ripe pears about 800 g / 1 ¾ lbs, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 400 g 1 ¾ cups crème fraîche (originally Schmand)
• 200 ml ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp heavy cream
• 2 packages about 74 g / 2.6 oz total vanilla pudding powder OR 6 Tbsp cornstarch + 4 Tbsp sugar + 2 tsp vanilla extract.
• 60 –70 g ⅓ cup sugar
• 3 eggs large
• 1 –2 Tbsp Amaretto optional
• Topping
• 2 Tbsp sliced almonds
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Make the shortcrust:

1. Combine flour, powdered sugar, salt, and almond extract. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg and quickly knead into a dough. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Prepare the pan:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (top/bottom heat). Grease and line a 10-inch ( 26 cm) springform pan with parchment. Roll out the dough (I roll mine thinly) or press directly into the pan, covering the bottom and sides. The recipe makes a bit more dough than you might need — I like mine thin for the perfect balance.

Add the walnut layer:

1. Mix the ground walnuts with brown sugar and sprinkle evenly over the pastry base.

Prepare the filling:

1. Whisk together crème fraîche, heavy cream, sugar, pudding powder (or cornstarch), and eggs until smooth. Add the Amaretto if using. The mixture should be thick but pourable.

Assemble the cake:

1. Arrange the pear slices evenly over the walnut layer. Pour the pudding mixture on top and smooth the surface. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
2. Bake:
3. Bake for about 50–55 minutes, until the filling is set and the almonds are golden. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
4. Cool & serve:
5. Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.