Ginger Pear Upside-Down Cake

Jocelyn chatted with me about this new cake she tried and had a lot of success with. Sounds yummy! And since she doesn't have super-fast internet, I'm putting it on.

Thanks, Jocelyn!

This was really yummy. I plan on making it again. I want to try it with peaches. I prefer using freshly ground ginger in this recipe. Either way, I suggest tasting the batters and adjusting the ginger to your personal liking.

Ginger Pear Upside-Down Cake

Topping
6 T. butter
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger (I like more)
5 juicy-ripe medium pears, peeled, halved, and cored, or a 28 to 29 ounce can plus an 8 – 9 ounce can pear halves, drained—I used sliced pears and it was pretty. I think peaches would work great for this cake too.
Approximately 1/3 cup pecan halves

Cake
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (I just used regular flour)
¾ teaspoon ground ginger (I like more)
¾ teaspoon baking poder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar

Preaheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

(My guess is you could use an 8-9 inch baking pan if you don’t have a skillet)

Prepare the topping. Melt the butter in a heavy 8-9 inch skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and ginger, and remove the pan from the heat.
Arrange the pear halves, cut side up, in the skillet. Fit them snugly in concentric circles or in a another pattern that pleases you. Tuck pecans in spaces between the pears.

Prepare the cake batter, first sifting together the flour, ginger baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks with the sour cream and vanilla. Cream together the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer at medium—high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the egg mixture and flour mixture in thirds, alternating the two. Mix for about 20 seconds following each addition, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Spoon the batter over the topping in the skillet, smoothing the surface. Bake for about 50 minutes, until nicely brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (In my experience the toothpick did not come out clean, but was still done. I think it was due to the moisture in the pears)

Immediately run a knife around the sides of the cake and invert the skillet onto a serving plate. Leave the skillet in place over the cake for a couple of minutes, then carefully remove the skillet. This gives time for the caramelized topping to release fully from the skillet, but if any clings stubbornly, scrape it out and smooth it onto the cake. I didn’t do this next part, but it says to cook for an additional 10 minutes before slicing into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.