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| Rich and moist Upside-Down Caramel Pear Cake |
Ian absolutely loves pears, and he'll always opt for a pear dessert when we eat out. So rather than make a traditional birthday cake, I made this Upside-Down "Caramel" Pear Cake. It's based on a recipe from Canadian Living – Upside-Down Buttermilk Pear Cake. I'm taking liberties by changing the name, but the buttermilk isn't a dominant flavour, and to me this cake is all about the caramel sauce. It makes the cake rich and moist and perfectly complements the pears without being sickly sweet.
I followed CLs recipe pretty closely, with the exception of using a 10'' round cake pan, instead of a 9'' square cake pan, which I thought would be prettier and more birthday-like. I also doubled the caramel sauce recipe, using about a quarter more in my version, because reviewers said it didn't have enough or as much caramel sauce as the photograph showed on the site and that it got absorbed into the cake. Now, this was a risk and I'm not sure it's one I would repeat. I know CL Food Director, Annabel Waugh, and she and her team test their recipes diligently. What I found is that the extra sauce was absorbed into the cake anyway, making it almost too moist. The reviewers were right, though – the photo shows a deceptive amount of caramel glistening on top of the pears. I've been to many food photography shoots and the truth is, a food stylist is to a recipe what a makeup artist is to a model – and just like models, food photography gets its fair share of retouching. Next time I make this – this recipe's a keeper! – I will double the caramel sauce but reserve the extra half for drizzling on the pears once the cake comes out of the oven. I'll let you know how that works out.
Regardless, my hubby was a pretty happy guy!
Upside-Down Caramel Pear Cake
* adapted from Canadian Living
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp lemon juice
3 firm ripe pears
(Note: except for the pears, halve the above ingredients to follow the original recipe)
Buttermilk Cake:
To make the sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, cook brown sugar, butter and lemon juice, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 2 min. Pour into greased and parchment paper–lined 10'' round cake pan or 9'' square cake pan to form a thin layer on the bottom. Peel, core and slice pears. Arrange pears in pan over caramel sauce.
To make the cake: In large bowl, beat butter with granulated and brown sugars until fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of buttermilk. Pour over pears, smoothing to edges of pan. Bake in 350ºF oven for about 40 min. until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto serving plate.
I followed CLs recipe pretty closely, with the exception of using a 10'' round cake pan, instead of a 9'' square cake pan, which I thought would be prettier and more birthday-like. I also doubled the caramel sauce recipe, using about a quarter more in my version, because reviewers said it didn't have enough or as much caramel sauce as the photograph showed on the site and that it got absorbed into the cake. Now, this was a risk and I'm not sure it's one I would repeat. I know CL Food Director, Annabel Waugh, and she and her team test their recipes diligently. What I found is that the extra sauce was absorbed into the cake anyway, making it almost too moist. The reviewers were right, though – the photo shows a deceptive amount of caramel glistening on top of the pears. I've been to many food photography shoots and the truth is, a food stylist is to a recipe what a makeup artist is to a model – and just like models, food photography gets its fair share of retouching. Next time I make this – this recipe's a keeper! – I will double the caramel sauce but reserve the extra half for drizzling on the pears once the cake comes out of the oven. I'll let you know how that works out.
Regardless, my hubby was a pretty happy guy!
Upside-Down Caramel Pear Cake
* adapted from Canadian Living
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp lemon juice
3 firm ripe pears
(Note: except for the pears, halve the above ingredients to follow the original recipe)
Buttermilk Cake:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
To make the sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, cook brown sugar, butter and lemon juice, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 2 min. Pour into greased and parchment paper–lined 10'' round cake pan or 9'' square cake pan to form a thin layer on the bottom. Peel, core and slice pears. Arrange pears in pan over caramel sauce.
To make the cake: In large bowl, beat butter with granulated and brown sugars until fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of buttermilk. Pour over pears, smoothing to edges of pan. Bake in 350ºF oven for about 40 min. until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto serving plate.
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| Bosc pears – firmer are better for baking |
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| Layer pears over the caramel |
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| Pour the batter on top |
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