Upside-Down Pear Ginger Cake

From ROSEMARY HOUSE BED & BREAKFAST

Ingredients

  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) Unsalted Butter; melted
  • 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar; firmly packed
  • 2 Tbsp. Crystallized Ginger; finely chopped plus additional for garnish
  • 2 Tbsp. Currants or Raisins
  • 2 large Anjou pears; peeled, cored and sliced thin
  • 1 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 tsp. Salt
  • 1/2 tsp. Double-acting Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
  • Whipped Cream or Vanilla Ice Cream; as an accompaniment

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Onto an 8-inch round cake pan pour the butter, swirling the pan, and sprinkle it with brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of the ginger, and the currants. In a small bowl toss the pear slices with the lemon juice and arrange them evenly over the currants. Into another small bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the salt, and the cinnamon. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the eggs with the granulated sugar and the vanilla for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and pale and forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted. Fold in the flour mixture gently but thoroughly, pour the batter over the pear slices, and bake the cake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan, invert the cake onto a serving plate, and serve it warm with the whipped cream or ice cream, sprinkled with remaining chopped crystallized ginger.

The cake is moist and low-fat which makes up for the half-stick of butter on top.  The butter and sugar caramelize all over the pears. Oh my, so good.

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