Dark Gingerbread Pear Upside Down Cake

I love baking in the winter- it seems like the perfect time for luxurious caramel tastes to add a hint of decadence to long winter nights, and with Valentines Day not quite yet upon us I wanted to try my hand at a non-traditional gingerbread cake before gingerbread season is too far behind. I made one last winter for my Dad’s birthday and it went over beautifully- but I’d been scheming some changes to the original recipe that would turn it into an upside down pear cake with a beautiful caramelized top instead of a spice cake with hints of pear throughout.

This cake is light and easy to whip together quickly. The molasses and dark brown sugar add a deep caramel flavour, and thin pear slices make for a detailled look without much effort. It smells deliscious baking, but the spices are quite mild so it won’t overpower you- and of course it goes perfectly with whipping cream or ice cream!

I tried to make this last week but ran out of time to bake, so when I made doe eyes at my young husband and asked “Jesse… could you run out to get me two pears?” he looked skeptical at first- no doubt remembering the fate of the last pears I asked him to pick up! But I had hair dye developing in my mop and a determined look in my eyes- so rather than have me scare the neighbours he hopped out into the snowy night. An hour later we had a perfect mid-winter dessert.

Upside Down Dark Gingerbread Pear Cake

adapted from Epicurious

For The Topping Grab……

4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
2-3 ripe pears

Okay!

1. Peel and core the pears, slicing as thinly as possible and set aside.
2. Butter and flower a 9″ cake pan and set aside.
3. Melt the butter in the bottom of a heavy skillet over low heat. Add the brown sugar, whisking in until dissolved.
4. Pour the sugar and butter into the bottom of the cake pan, swirling quickly to coat the bottom of the cake pan. As the caramelized sugar cools it will become hard to work with, if this happens try to guide the caramel into a thin layer starting at the centre of the pan.
5. Layer the pear slices in a circular pattern, covering the base of the pan.

For The Cake Grab…

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 Cup)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup packed dark brown molasses
1/2 cup fancy molasses
3 large eggs
2 tsp ground ginger

Okay!

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle.
2. Whisk together flour, baking sode, cinnamon, salt, and cardamom.
3. Melt butter with water.
4. Beat together brown sugar and molasses until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well. Beat in flour mixture until just combined. Add butter mixture, beating just until smooth. Pour into cake pan.
5. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 35 mins.
6. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, place a plate upside down over the cake and flip it over!