Spiced Pear Upside-Down Cake with Caramelized Pears and Warm Spices Recipe
This Spiced Pear Upside-Down Cake features tender, caramelized pear slices baked atop a moist whole wheat pastry flour cake infused with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. The cake’s fluffy texture comes from gently folded egg whites, while the rich topping of butter and brown or maple sugar creates a luscious caramelized pear layer. Perfect served warm with optional whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or custard, this elegant dessert offers a cozy, autumn-inspired treat.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Total Time: 45 min
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Topping
- 3 tbsp salted butter (melted and cooled slightly)
- 2 ripe pears (peeled, cored, and sliced about 1/4 inch thick)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar or maple sugar
Cake Batter
- 6 tbsp salted butter (softened to ~70°F)
- 3/4 cup maple sugar
- 2 large eggs (separated into yolks and whites)
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (plus 2 tbsp)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Optional for Serving
- Vanilla custard
- Vanilla ice cream
- Whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Thoroughly grease a 9-inch round cake pan to prevent sticking.
- Make the Topping Base: Evenly spread the brown sugar or maple sugar over the bottom of the prepared pan, then pour the melted salted butter over the sugar.
- Arrange Pear Slices: Layer the prepared pear slices over the butter and sugar mixture, slightly overlapping for full coverage.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter with maple sugar until pale, light, and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add Egg Yolks and Vanilla: Incorporate the egg yolks one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Then blend in the vanilla extract.
- Combine Batter: Add half the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined. Mix in the whole milk, then add the remaining dry ingredients, stirring gently only until the batter is evenly mixed.
- Whip Egg Whites: In a clean dry bowl, beat the reserved egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
- Fold Egg Whites: Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter to maintain the airy texture.
- Assemble Cake: Carefully pour and spread the batter evenly over the pear slices in the pan, leveling the surface.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the cake turns golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Invert: Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen, then invert the cake onto a serving plate so the pear layer is on top.
- Serve: Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or vanilla custard.
Notes
- Use ripe pears that are firm enough to hold slices but soft enough to caramelize nicely.
- Whole wheat pastry flour provides a tender crumb; don’t substitute with regular whole wheat flour which can be too dense.
- Be gentle folding in egg whites to maintain airiness in the cake.
- Let the melted butter cool slightly before pouring over sugar to prevent melting sugar too much.
- For a vegan adaptation, substitute eggs with flax eggs and use plant-based butter and milk.
- Optional toppings like whipped cream or ice cream enhance the warm spices but the cake is delicious on its own.
