Maple-pear Upside-down Cake

Submitted by KelBel

"A Cooking Light Recipe. You can use apples instead of pears. Beautiful presentation and delicious."

 

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1⁄3 cup maple syrup
• 3 peeled bartlett pears or 3 Anjou pears, each cored and cut into 8 wedges
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 1⁄3 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1⁄2 cup low-fat buttermilk

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Bring syrup to a boil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat; arrange pears in pan in a spokelike fashion.
4. Place pan over medium-high heat, and cook until syrup thickens (about 4 minutes), gently shaking pan frequently.
5. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
6. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through salt); stirring well with a whisk.
7. Place sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended (about 2 minutes).
8. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
9. Stir in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
10. Pour batter evenly over pear mixture in prepared pan; wrap handle of skillet with foil.
11. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center.
12. Run a knife around outside edge.
13. Cool in pan 5 minutes.
14. Place a plate upside down on top of cake; invert onto plate.
15. Serve warm.

Reviews

[PaulaG]

The cake was baked in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. The pears were spaced nicely but did shrink while cooking and I would recommended putting them closely together so that as they cook they will be spaced more evenly. Everyone loved this even though it was served at room temperature.

 

[gwynn]

This is a simple and tasty upside-down cake. Thanks so much for posting.

 

[lauralie41]

Lovely cake and so good. I used 3 anjou pears and baked in a round baking dish instead of skillet. Inverted onto a cake plate and served with whipped topping.

 

[klingensmithd]

Easy to make, moist and delicious. Three guests asked me for the recipe! (I used Granny Smith apples and real maple syrup, doubled the recipe in a large skillet and inverted onto a foil-covered pizza pan.) Serve warm with high-quality vanilla ice cream.