Sandras Caramel Pear Upside Down Cake Recipes

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.

CARAMEL PEACH UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch cake pan, line bottom with parchment paper and brush the paper with butter.
• Caramel peaches: Combine the sugar, corn syrup, allspice and water in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high, and continue to cook, without stirring, until the mixture becomes an amber caramel, about 5 minutes. Pour the caramel into the prepared pan and set aside to cool.
• Halve and pit the peaches, but leave their skins on. Cut each half into 3 wedges. Arrange the wedges in concentric circles in the pan. Set aside while you make the cake batter.
• Cake: Whisk the all-purpose flour, white corn flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Slowly mix the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer. Increase the speed to high, and continue beating until the butter is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at time, waiting for each to be fully incorporated before adding the next.
• While mixing at a low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Increase the speed to medium and mix briefly to make a smooth batter. Pour the batter over the peaches and smooth over.
• Bake the cake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack, about 20 minutes.
• Run a knife around the edge of the pan to release the cake. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate and remove the parchment paper. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
• Serving suggestions: Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

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.

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.

SANDRA'S CARAMEL PEAR UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Melt butter and combine with sugar and corn syrup in the bottom of 2 round cake pans.
• Arrange fresh or canned pears pieces on top. (Peel and core, if fresh).
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Beat butter with eggs and wet ingredients in a large measuring cup or small bowl.
• In a larger bowl, mix dry ingredients, then add butter mixture to it, combining well.
• Pour into pans over the pear mixture.
• Bake for about 30-40 minutes.
• Loosen and invert over a serving plate; dust with confectioners sugar, if desired.

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).

CARAMEL PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Generously grease 13 x 9-inch pan. Slice pear halves arrange over bottom of greased pan. In small saucepan over medium heat, melt caramels in reserved pear liquid, stirring frequently until smooth. Stir in margarine blend well. Pour mixture evenly over pears. In large bowl, combine cake mix, water, oil and eggs at low speed until moistened beat 2 minutes at high speed. Spoon batter evenly over pear mixture.Bake at 350°F. for 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes turn onto serving plate. Sprinkle with nuts. Serve warm or cool with whipped cream.HIGH ALTITUDE - Above 3,500 feet: Add 3 tablespoons flour to dry cake mix. Bake at 375°F. for 35 to 45 minutes.Nutrition Per Serving: Calories 470 Protein 5g Carbohydrate 66g Fat 21g Sodium 370mgFrom "Pillsbury Best of the Bake-Off® Cookbook." Copyright 2004 General Mills. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

CARAMEL PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Arrange pear slices in rows in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the caramels with a 1/2 cup water; stir in butter until smooth. Pour over pears. , In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oil and remaining water; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour over the caramel layer., Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter. Serve with whipped cream.

UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR CARDAMOM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Make caramelized pears:
• Peel pears, then halve lengthwise and core. Spread sugar on a plate, then press cut sides of pear halves into sugar to coat, reserving remaining sugar.
• Melt butter in a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Reduce heat to low and arrange pears, cut sides down, decoratively in skillet. Sprinkle reserved sugar all around pears. Cook pears over moderately low heat until sugar begins to caramelize, about 15 minutes, and remove skillet from heat.
• Make cake batter:
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg and beat well. Add flour mixture and milk alternately in 3 batches, mixing at low speed after each addition until just combined.
• Spoon batter over pears in skillet, gently spreading evenly and being careful not to disturb pears (batter will not cover tops of all pears). Bake in middle of oven until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Cool cake in skillet on a rack 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge and invert a plate over skillet. Invert cake onto plate (wearing oven mitts), keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together. Replace any fruit stuck to bottom of skillet if necessary.
• Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the walnuts, brown sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon until blended. Pour into a greased 9-in. round baking pan. Arrange pear slices in a single layer over walnut mixture., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks; beat well. Stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition., In a small bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually fold into batter. Spoon over pears. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm.

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.