Pear Spice Upside Down Cake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 3-4 pears (depending on size)
- 200g/7ozs butter (divided into 150g/5oz. and 50g/1.7oz)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1.5 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup caster or superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Finely grated zest from 1 lemon
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- Edible petals and thyme to decorate
Step 1 - Grease and line a 20cm/8inch round pan (don't use a springform as it will leak batter). Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Place the 50g/1.7ozs butter in a saucepan with the 1/2 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer until you get a caramel. Spoon into the prepared tin and set aside.
Step 2 - Wash and peel pears. Cut in half and remove the seeds with a melon baller. Gently toss in lemon juice.
Step 3 - Beat the rest of the butter with the flour, baking powder, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup caster sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and lemon zest. Beat for 3 minutes or so.
Step 4 - In a jug whisk the eggs and buttermilk together. Then add to the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Place the pears smooth side down (that is facing up when the cake is upturned) and then spread over with the cake batter.
Step 5 - Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in tin. Slide a knife around the edge and place on serving plate (tip if your cake has a dome on the top, trim it so that doesn't buckle and crack upwards when you upend it). Sprinkle with icing sugar and decorate with edible flower petals and lemon thyme leaves.