Upside-Down Pear and Ginger Cake
Ingredients:
Topping
- 2/3 stick of butter
- ¾ cup soft brown sugar
- 4 large, ripe, juicy pears
Ginger Bread Cake - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch ground cloves
- 2 large organic eggs, beaten
- 1 cup soft brown sugar
- ½ cup molasses or dark maple syrup
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Make the topping: Melt the butter and sugar together in a small pan over medium heat until bubbling, creamy, and medium-caramel color. Pour into a 9-inch square baking pan which has been lined with parchment and spread evenly by tilting the pan.
- Peel, core and cut the pears in half. (I occasionally don’t core them because they look prettier left whole.) Arrange the pears cut side down on the topping in the baking pan.
- Make the ginger bread: Sift the flour, soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves together in a bowl.
- In another bowl, mix the beaten eggs, brown sugar, molasses, milk, and melted butter. Gently combine the flour mixture with the egg mixture to make a smooth batter.
Pour over the pears in the baking pan
- Place the pan over an oven tray and bake for 45 to 55 minute until a skewer comes out clean from the center of the cake.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the pan. Carefully cover the top with a large serving plate and turn over quickly, emptying the cake onto the plate.
- Serve warm immediately or cool to room temperature.
Note: The cake keeps well for a couple of days in an airtight container.
Shopping List
– butter
– soft brown sugar
– 4 large ripe pears
– all-purpose flour
– baking soda
– ground cinnamon
– ground ginger
– ground nutmeg
– ground cloves
– 2 eggs
– molasses or maple syrup
– milk
Contributed by:
CHOPPED Champion Silvia Baldini
Chef and Founder of Strawberry and Sage
203-391-3703
