Pear Upside Down Cake Recipes

PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Make the topping: Melt butter in the bottom of a 10 1/2-inch cast-iron skillet over low heat. Add brown sugar, stirring until dissolved. Swirl to coat the bottom; remove from heat, and cool. Cut pears into 1/4-inch-thick wedges, and arrange them in a circular pattern over the brown-sugar mixture to cover completely; set aside.
• Make the batter: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract; beat to combine. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating to combine.
• Alternating with the milk, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix, on low speed, just until the flour is incorporated.
• In a large bowl, beat reserved egg whites and the cream of tartar with a hand mixer until stiff but not dry. Using a rubber spatula, fold egg whites into the batter. Transfer to skillet. Using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly, being careful not to disturb the pears.
• Bake until well browned on top and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Run a knife around inside of pan, and immediately invert the cake onto a serving dish. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CARAMELIZED PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9×2-inch round cake pan (don't use a springform pan, as the caramel might leak out during baking). Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment and butter the top of the paper.
• Peel, core, and cut the pears lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the pear slices on the bottom of the pan in a circle around the edge, overlapping them slightly, with the pointed ends towards the center. If necessary, cut a little off the pointed ends to make the slices fit better. Or if the pear slices don't reach all the way to the middle, arrange a few of the shorter slices in the center to cover the bottom of the pan. Make the Basic Caramel according to the directions. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the 4 Tbs. of butter one piece at a time, until they are completely melted. Carefully pour the hot caramel evenly over the pears (it should spread over the pears and onto the bottom of the pan).
• Sift the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and salt into a medium bowl. Stir to combine. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vanilla. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.Turn the mixer to medium and slowly add the brown sugar. Increase the speed to high and continue to mix until lightened in texture and color, 2 to 3 minutes total. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to low and alternate adding the flour mixture and milk mixture in five additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix each addition just enough to incorporate, as overmixing will lead to a tougher cake. Scrape down the sides of the bowl one last time and mix briefly to blend well.
• Spoon the batter in large dollops over the pears and smooth it into an even layer with an offset spatula. Bake the cake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Turn a cake plate upside down on top of the cake pan and, using pot holders, carefully invert the cake pan onto the plate.

PEAR UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool. Turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees F.
• Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and corn syrup and evenly coat the bottom and sides of a 10 inch glass pie plate with the mixture. When the almonds are cool, arrange around the bottom rim of the pie plate, with a few in the center, pressing them into the brown sugar mixture. Arrange the pear halves like spokes of a wheel on top of the brown sugar mixture.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the pastry flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and thoroughly mix.
• In another bowl, whisk together the softened butter, sour cream, egg yolks and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with an electric mixer at medium speed about 1 1/2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until thick and smooth.
• Using a spatula, spread the batter evenly over the fruit, building up the outside edges so the cake will be level when baked. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and cool 3 to 5 minutes (no longer) and then invert onto a serving plate, repositioning the fruit as necessary.

CLASSIC PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, combine powdered sugar and 3/4 cup butter; beat at low speed until crumbly. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well at medium speed after each addition. Add vanilla; beat well. Add flour, cornmeal and baking powder; mix well.
• Place 1/4 cup butter in 9-inch round cake pan. Heat in oven for about 4 minutes or until butter is melted. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Arrange pear slices over mixture in pan, slightly overlapping. Spoon and carefully spread cake batter over pears.
• Bake at 350°F. for 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Serve warm or cool with whipped cream.

PEAR-PECAN UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Butter the inside of a 5-quart round slow cooker, then line it completely with a large sheet of foil and butter the foil. Turn the cooker on low. Sprinkle the cut-up butter and the brown sugar over the foil in the cooker. Add the pears, arranging them in a circle, cut-side down.
• Mix the flour, pecans, cornmeal, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. In the large bowl of a mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on low speed until just blended. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
• With the mixer on low speed, beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed just until the batter is smooth. Spread over the pears in the slow cooker. Drape paper towels over the top of the slow cooker (not touching the cake) to prevent condensation from dripping onto the cake. Cover and cook on low until the cake sets and the sides brown, about 3 hours. Turn off the cooker and let the cake rest about 20 minutes.
• Lift the cake by the foil and place on a rack to cool. Carefully invert onto a platter and peel off the foil. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter pan; line bottom with a parchment-paper round. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Stir 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high. Boil syrup without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until sugar turns dark amber, 8-10 minutes. Remove pan from heat; add 1 tablespoon butter (caramel will bubble vigorously) and whisk until smooth. Pour caramel into prepared cake pan and swirl to coat bottom.
• Peel, halve, and core the pears. Place flat on a work surface and cut lengthwise into 1/8"-thick slices. Layer slices over caramel, flat side down, overlapping as needed.
• Mix remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 8 tablespoons butter, and vanilla in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping bowl. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Using clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites on low speed in a medium bowl until frothy. Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat until whites form soft peaks. Fold about 1/4 of the whites into cake batter. Add in remaining whites; gently fold just to blend. Pour batter over pears in pan; smooth top.
• Bake cake, rotating pan halfway through, until top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few small moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inside of pan to release cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• Invert cake onto a plate; remove parchment paper. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or caramel gelato, if desired.

PEAR AND CRANBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cut a rectangle out of waxed paper to fit an 8x12-inch cake pan. Spray the pan with cooking spray, then place waxed paper liner over the bottom.
• Melt butter in a large skillet. Add 2 cups sugar and cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is bubbling, about 3 minutes. Add pear slices; reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and add cranberries.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg together in a bowl.
• Combine remaining 2 cups sugar, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in another bowl using a hand mixer until cake batter is smooth. Gradually mix in dry ingredients until well combined. Fold in walnuts.
• Pour pear-cranberry mixture into the prepared cake pan. Use a spatula to spread cake batter evenly on top of fruit.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Place a platter on top of the cake pan and carefully flip the pan and platter over, allowing the cake to settle on the platter. Lift cake pan off and serve.

PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Cut pears lengthwise in half; remove cores, then cut pears lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange on bottom of 13x9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Combine sugar and spice; sprinkle over pears. Top with cranberries.
• Beat next 5 ingredients with mixer until blended; pour over ingredients in pan.
• Bake 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool 10 min. Run knife around edges of pan to loosen cake. Place large platter over cake; invert cake onto platter. Gently remove pan. Cool cake slightly. Serve topped with COOL WHIP.

GINGER-PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place 1/3 cup butter in a 9-inch square pan and set in the preheating oven to melt, about 5 minutes.
• Stir molasses, brown sugar, and ginger into the melted butter. Arrange pears cut-side down over mixture.
• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Add milk, 1/3 cup butter, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg until combined, about 2 minutes. Pour batter over pears.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
• Run a knife around the edge of the pan; place a plate on top of the cake and flip carefully.

PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Spread butter in an 8-in. square baking dish. Arrange pear slices in a single layer over butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans., In a large bowl, beat cake mix, milk and egg on medium speed for 3-5 minutes; pour over pears. , Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm.

PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Butter a 9-inch cake pan with 1 tablespoon butter; set aside. Toss pears with lemon juice; set aside.
• In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Add pears, cut side down, in a single layer. Cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and brown the other side. Transfer to a plate.
• To the same saute pan, add the Poire William, and sprinkle with the rest of the granulated sugar. Cook until reduced to a syrup, about 1 minute. Pour into cake pan, coating the bottom. Place pears in pan, cut side down, arranging in a single layer (there may be a few leftover slices).
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the remaining 8 tablespoons butter until fluffy. Add brown sugar, and beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add eggs, and continue beating to combine. Add molasses and fresh ginger. Gradually add flour mixture. In a small bowl, combine the baking soda and boiling water, beating with a fork. Add to the batter, and mix well.
• Pour batter into cake pan over the pears. Bake for 25 minutes. Lower heat to 325 degrees, and bake an additional 15 minutes, until cake springs back when touched in the center. Remove from oven. Cool for 1 hour, then invert onto serving plate. Serve with rum-raisin ice cream or rum-spiked whipped cream.

ORANGE AND PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place butter in a 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet; place pan in oven until butter is melted, 3-5 minutes. Carefully tilt pan to coat bottom and sides with butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Arrange pears in a single layer over sugar., In a large bowl, beat sugar, coconut oil, egg and remaining 1 tablespoon orange zest until well blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into sugar mixture alternately with cream., Spoon over pears. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm.

FRESH PEAR UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Combine butter and sugar in 8-inch cake pan.
• Melt butter over low heat and spread evenly over bottom of pan.
• Pare fruit and slice lengthwise.
• Remove core and slice thinly lengthwise.
• Arrange slices in a circle in pan and sprinkle with nutmeg.
• Beat egg yolks well.
• Add syrup and beat more.
• Stir in vanilla and melted shortening.
• Sift together and stir in flour, baking powder and salt.
• Stir in bran.
• Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into batter.
• Spread over pears.
• Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
• Cool 10 minutes and turn out onto plate while still very warm.
• Serve with whipped or ice cream (optional).

PERFECT PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter with 1/4 cup sugar in a 12-inch cast-iron or large skillet over medium. Arrange pears in a circular fashion, around the edge of the pan. Cook, without turning pears, until pears are golden underneath, 18 to 20 minutes (rotating pan as necessary for even browning).
• In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; whisk to combine. In a medium bowl, combine remaining sugar, eggs, buttermilk, applesauce, oil, and vanilla; whisk to combine. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and whisk until just combined.
• Pour batter over pears; spread to cover. Transfer to the oven; bake until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and turn out onto a serving platter.

UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Grease bottom and sides of 9-inch (3" high) round cake pan.
• Sprinkle with brown or maple sugar.
• Cream 5 tablespoons butter (or margarine) with brown and white sugar.
• Add maple syrup and salt.
• Spread topping mixture into prepared pan.
• Press pear slices into sugar mixture, arranging them in a spoke design.
• Set aside while preparing cake batter.
• Sift together dry ingredients (flour-cinnamon). Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, cream 6 tablespoons and 1 cup brown or maple sugar together until light.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.
• Add sour cream, beating until smooth.
• Mix in maple syrup.
• Fold in flour mixture and then walnuts, if using.
• Pour batter into prepared pan (over pears).
• Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes.
• Run knife around cake and invert cake onto platter, leave pan on cake an additional 5 minutes before removing pan very carefully.
• Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream topping (recipe follows).
• To make whipped cream topping: Beat cream until soft peaks form.
• Add sugar and bourbon, if using.
• Continue beating until soft peaks form again.

MAPLE PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium heat; add maple syrup and brown sugar and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes; remove from heat and set aside. When mixture has cooled a bit, pour it into a 9-inch baking pan and arrange pear slices in an overlapping circle on top.
• With a handheld or standing mixer, beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, one egg at a time, continuing to mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
• Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with milk; do not overmix. Carefully spread batter over pears, using a spatula to make sure it is evenly distributed. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 45 to 50 minutes; a toothpick inserted into center should come out clean. Let cake cool for 5 minutes.
• Run a knife around edge of pan; put a plate on top of cake and carefully flip it so plate is on bottom and pan is on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

RIPE PEAR UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Melt 4 oz of the sugar and 2 oz of the butter in a pan and pour into a 20cm (8inch) square cake tin. Peel and core the pears removing any bruised bits and place on top of the butter and sugar mixture.
• Preheat the oven to gas 4 (180C or 350F). In a bowl sift the flour, nutmeg and cinnamon.
• In a separate bowl mix the eggs with the remaining sugar. Melt the remaining butter and mix this into the egg and sugar mixture along with the milk. Pour this mix into the flour and mix well. Pour or spoon the batter over the fruit and pop into the oven for between 40-50 mins.
• Once cooked tun out onto a large serving plate to allow the syrup to drip over the sides of the cake.
• Serve warm with cream or custard or eat cold the next day with a cup of tea