Upside Down Pear Gingerbread Cake

 

I’ve made dozens and dozens of gingerbread cookies, and baked and decorated many gingerbread houses when my kids were little, but a gingerbread cake? Well, I’d never made one, and if truth be told, had never eaten a slice of one until a few years ago. It wasn’t a flavor that I’d grown up with or ever had the yen to seek out on my own. But I have to say, I was a convert after tasting that first slice of gingerbread cake a few years ago at the house of friends.

Those same friends who served the gingerbread cake – Jan and Dave – also send us a box of Harry & David pears each Christmas. Last year, I made an upside down pear walnut cake with some of them last year here. We loved the nuttiness of this cake, but I wanted to try something different this year.

Eureka! I found a cake recipe combining gingerbread with pears in an upside down cake crowned with a luscious caramel-y top. It turns out pears and gingerbread were made to party together!

Although I’ve made many upside down cakes, with fruits of all kinds, most of them (not the walnut cake) have a basic white or yellow cake batter as the base. Like the walnut cake though, this gingerbread cake recipe is a welcome change from the standard upside down cake batter.  Lay the pear slices in a cast iron skillet (or a 9″ cake pan) and pour the brown sugar/butter mixture on top.

Then make the batter, which is very dark since it contains molasses and many spices. When it comes out of the oven, run a butterknife around the edge, then using two pot holders, place a large platter (a wider diameter than the pan) over the cake and flip it over. Careful, don’t burn yourself on the pan or the hot syrup.

Top it with whipped cream or ice cream. Of course, the topping is not strictly necessary, but the coolness of the cream with the spiciness of the cake is divine. Besides, what are a few more calories when bathing suit weather is still months away?

This cake is best eaten warm from the oven, but it tastes delicious the next day too. Unlike most white or yellow upside down cakes, whose texture get denser the next day, this gingerbread cake maintains its tender crumb and moist texture even a few days after baking. The pears and the brown sugar topping do soften somewhat if you don’t eat it all the day it’s baked, however. It serves at least eight people, so plan on taking some to a neighbor as I did, or invite some friends in for coffee and cake.

Upside Down Pear Gingerbread Cake

Recipe Type: dessert

Author: Sallysbakingaddiction.com via Ciao Chow Linda

printable recipe here

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

Serves: 9-12 servings

moist and flavorful upside down pear gingerbread cake

Ingredients

• TOPPING:
• 4 firm medium pears
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
• GINGERBREAD CAKE:
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsps. ground ginger
• 1 1/3 tsps. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup unsulphured or dark molasses
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• whipped cream, to serve (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the topping: Lightly grease a 9″ square or round baking pan (I used a cast iron skillet).
2. Peel, core and slice pears into thick slices.
3. Tightly layer the pears in the prepared pan. Set aside.
4. Whisking constantly, heat the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small saucepan over medium heat.
5. Once butter has melted, vigorously whisk to ensure the butter is not separating from the brown sugar.
6. Once it comes together, pour evenly over pears.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8. MAKE THE CAKE:
9. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and slat together.
10. Set aside.
11. Whisk the molasses and hot water together. Set aside.
12. Beat the butter and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
13. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
14. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, about 1 minute.
15. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.
16. Turn the mixer off and add the dry ingredients and molasses/water.
17. Turn the mixer on low and mix just until combined.
18. The batter will be a little thick.
19. Carefully pour/spread batter on top of pears.
20. Bake for around 35-45 minutes or until the cake is baked through (I put a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil on the rack below the cake to catch any butter/brown sugar that might spill out).
21. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake.
22. If it comes out clean, it’s done.
23. If you notice the edges or top browning too quickly, tent the cake with aluminum foil.
24. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate
25. Best served warm.

3.5.3251

 

Upside Down Pear Walnut Cake

I know, I promised to eat fewer sweets at the start of the new year, but this has three pears sliced on top, so doesn’t that count as health food? (Don’t answer that.)

Seriously, I had to make this cake, if only because I wanted to use some of those delicious boxed pears sent to us for Christmas by our friends Jan and Dave. We still had five uneaten pears left in the box, despite having had a houseful of family and visitors over the holidays. Yes, of course we could have just eaten them raw, but when you have a husband whose idea of the perfect wedding vow includes a commitment to provide cake each night, well, you try to obey (No, neither the cake nor the obey part was part of the vows). Truth be told, I was longing to make this dessert since I saw it being whipped up on the TV program, “America’s Test Kitchen” recently. And with ample pears in the house, it was good timing.

I’ve made a lot of upside down cakes in my life, from my childhood favorite, pineapple upside down cake, to peach, to cranberry, to plum, to fig, to blood orange. 

All of them are made with a basic white or yellow cake, but this one is very different. It does use a little white flour, but it’s got one dominating ingredient that gives the cake a distinct look and flavor.

Can you guess?Maybe now you can, after seeing this cut slice. It’s toasted walnuts, giving the cake a delicious walnut-y flavor. It’s also very moist with a delicate crumb. And it’s easy to make too – using a food processor instead of a mixer.

The only thing missing is perhaps a little whipped cream or creme fraiche.

If you want to be really wicked, maybe a scoop of ice cream. Oh what the heck, go for it. Bathing suit season doesn’t start for a while.

Upside Down Pear Walnut Cake

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• From Cooks Illustrated:
• For the Topping:
• 4 T. unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
• 2 t. cornstarch
• 1/8 t. salt
• 3 Bosc pears – 8 ounces each – (I used Bartlett and it worked out fine)
• For The Cake:
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup (2.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 t. baking powder
• 1/8 t. baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
• 4 T. unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 vegetable oil

Instructions

1. FOR THE TOPPING:
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.
3. Grease 9-inch round cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper. (I strongly suggest using a cake pan that is 2″ high, or use a springform pan. The batter is almost too much for a regular 9″ cake pan.)
4. Pour melted butter over bottom of pan and swirl to evenly coat.
5. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in small bowl and sprinkle evenly over melted butter.
6. Peel, halve, and core pears.
7. Set aside 1 pear half and reserve for other use.
8. Cut remaining 5 pear halves into 4 wedges each.
9. Arrange pears in circular pattern around cake pan with tapered ends pointing inward.
10. Arrange two smallest pear wedges in center.
11. For The Cake:
12. Pulse walnuts, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in food processor until walnuts are finely ground, 8 to 10 pulses.
13. Transfer walnut mixture to bowl.
14. Process eggs and sugar in now-empty processor until very pale yellow, about 2 minutes.
15. With processor running, add melted butter and oil in steady stream until incorporated.
16. Add walnut mixture and pulse to combine, 4 to 5 pulses.
17. Pour batter evenly over pears (some pear may show through; cake will bake up over fruit).
18. Bake until center of cake is set and bounces back when gently pressed and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 1/4 hours, rotating pan after 40 minutes.
19. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes.
20. Carefully run paring knife or offset spatula around sides of pan.
21. Invert cake onto wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet; discard parchment.
22. Let cake cool for about 2 hours.
23. Transfer to serving platter, cut into wedges, and serve.

3.5.3229