Gingerbread Pear Upside-Down Cake
Makes one 9-inch cake
Adapted from Gourmet
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick + 3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 + 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
3 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 pears
Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a cake pan, and line it with parchment. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices and salt. In another bowl, beat one stick of butter until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup of brown sugar and beat until combined, then the molasses. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and pinch of salt until the caramel is bubbling and golden brown. While the caramel is cooking, peel, core and slice the pears about 1/4-inch thick. Pour the caramel into the cake pan, and arrange the pear slices so that they cover the bottom and are slightly overlapping.
Prepare the cake batter by alternating the flour and the buttermilk with the molasses mixture until the batter is well combined. Pour over the pears and bake for 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean and the cake pulls away from the pan slightly.
Let cool, and flip the cake out on to a plate. Remove the parchment and serve.
