A pear cake is one of those cakes that works equally well with afternoon coffee and as a dessert after a light dinner. This version is a light sponge batter stirred together with freshly squeezed lemon juice and finely grated ginger, with thin pear slices fanned out over the top. As the cake bakes, the pears sink slightly into the batter, leaving a moist, aromatic layer just beneath the surface.
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It’s worth remembering that this is a cake, not a tart. There’s no shortcrust pastry to chill, no base to blind-bake and no risk of a grey, soggy edge. You stir the batter together in one bowl, arrange the pears on top and finish baking the cake in the air fryer at 160 °C. From the moment the mixing bowl comes out until the cake is lifted from the basket, 55 minutes pass.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents:
Why I love pear cake with lemon and ginger in the air fryer
The air fryer is a small, enclosed space with powerful air circulation, and that’s exactly why it’s so good for this type of cake. The heat spreads quickly around the tin, so the batter rises evenly and sets at the edge while the centre still has time to finish baking. At the same time, you avoid heating up an entire oven for just one cake, and that shows both in the waiting time and on the electricity bill.
Flavour-wise, it’s the lemon and ginger that carry the cake. Pears are mild and quite sweet on their own, and without something sharp or warm to play against, the result can easily become bland. The lemon juice adds a lift, and the grated ginger lends a warm undertone to the crumb that only really comes through once the cake has cooled a little.
The difference between an air fryer and a regular oven
The air moves faster in an air fryer than in an oven, so the surface sets sooner. For a sponge cake, that means you need to bake at a lower temperature than you normally would in the oven, here 160 °C, so the top isn’t dark long before the centre is fully baked. If the surface still gets too dark along the way, lay a piece of baking paper or foil loosely over the tin for the rest of the time.
My kitchen test of pear cake with lemon and ginger
I baked the cake in my Philips XXL at 160 °C, and it took 35 minutes before a cake tester came out clean from the centre. The preparation itself — grating ginger, squeezing lemon, mixing the batter and cutting the pears — took around 20 minutes, so I land on 55 minutes in total from start to finished cake.
What I noticed most was the placement of the pear slices. The first time, I placed them close together in the centre, and the cake turned out heavier and slightly wet there. The second time, I spread them in a spiral out towards the edge with a little space between them, and then the centre finished baking at the same pace as the rest. The top started to take on colour about two-thirds of the way through the baking time, and that’s when I laid foil loosely over it.
Grate the ginger on the finest side of your grater and stir it into the batter along with the lemon juice. Coarse pieces give you a sharp bite of ginger in one spot of the cake and nothing in the next.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The mistake I see most often is pear slices that are too thick. Thick slices release more juice than the batter can absorb, and they sink into the centre, leaving behind a wet layer. Cut them thin and spread them out so the juice distributes evenly. The next mistake is stirring the batter for too long after the flour has been added, because that tightens the gluten network and turns the light crumb into a dense, rubbery cake. Stir only until the flour has disappeared, and stop there. The third is impatience. Every time the basket is opened, the temperature drops, and a cake that hasn’t set yet will sink in the middle. Leave it alone for the first two-thirds of the baking time.
How to serve pear cake with lemon and ginger
The cake is perfectly good on its own, but it gets even better with something cold or creamy alongside:
- A spoonful of 38% crème fraîche with a little grated lemon zest stirred in
- Vanilla ice cream that melts into the warm cake
- Lightly whipped cream without sugar
- Toasted hazelnuts sprinkled over the top
- A cup of black coffee or a strong tea
Storage and reheating
The cake keeps best in an airtight container at room temperature, where it’s fine for the first couple of days. In the fridge, it becomes firmer and a little dry, so if you want to keep it longer, it’s better to freeze it in slices with baking paper in between. Thaw at room temperature. If you want to warm up a slice again, do it at a low temperature in the air fryer for a couple of minutes — high heat dries out the crumb before it warms through in the middle.
It’s one of those cakes that needs neither special equipment nor a particular occasion. A handful of pears, a lemon and a piece of fresh ginger, and the air fryer takes care of the rest.
FAQ
They don’t have to be. A thin, fine peel goes soft during baking and gives the cake a bit of texture. If the pears are large with a rough or dull peel, you’ll get a nicer result by peeling them first.
Recipe
Pear cake with lemon and ginger in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Cost of the dish
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Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
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Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Springform (18 cm)
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Grater
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Bagepapir (til airfryer)
Shopping list
Ingredients
Cake batter
Pears and topping
- 2 pcs pears (Firm, e.g. Conference)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (For the pears)
- 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 1 tsp butter (For greasing the tin)
How to make it
Preparation
- Grease an 18 cm springform tin with 1 tsp butter and line the base with baking paper. The tin needs to stand freely in the air fryer basket with air circulating all the way round.
- Peel 2 pcs pears, halve them and remove the core. Cut each half into thin wedges and toss them in 1 tbsp lemon juice so they don’t turn brown.
Cake batter
- Whisk 2 eggs and 100 g sugar pale and fluffy with an electric whisk for 4-5 minutes. The mixture should turn almost white and double in volume.
- Pour the batter into the greased springform tin and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C.
- Place the tin in the basket and bake the cake at 160 °C for 30-35 minutes. Loosely cover the cake with a piece of foil after about 20 minutes if the surface is browning too quickly.
- Test the cake with a cake tester or a thin metal skewer in the centre. If wet batter clings to it, give the cake another 3-5 minutes at 160 °C.
- Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then loosen the edge and let the cake cool on a wire rack.
Serving
- Serve the cake warm or fully cooled, cut into wedges. The warm cake has the strongest scent of lemon and ginger.
Our notes for the recipe
Fold in the flour with a spatula instead of the electric whisk — the batter needs to stay light and airy, or the cake will turn dense. Use firm pears so the wedges hold their shape during baking. Lemon and ginger:
The lemon juice adds acidity and keeps the crumb light, while the freshly grated ginger adds a warm, slightly sharp note. For more bite, you can use up to 1 tbsp grated ginger. Variation:
Swap the pears for apples or plums, or sprinkle coarsely chopped almonds over the top along with the brown sugar. Serving:
Serve the cake with a light dusting of icing sugar, a dollop of crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serving size:
An 18 cm springform tin makes 4 generous slices or 6-8 smaller ones. If your air fryer basket is narrow, measure it before choosing your tin — there needs to be room for air circulation all the way round.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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