Caramelized Pear Upside-Down Cake

Mmmmm…..sweet but not too sweet, with a little cornmeal texture…..this Caramelized Pear Upside Down Cake might just be the world’s most perfect dessert! 

This recipe for Caramelized Pear Upside Down Cake might be my favorite dessert recipe of all time, which is no small feat! It is simply heaven on a plate. Between the sweet-but-not-too-sweet pear flavor and the perfectly-imperfect texture of the cornmeal in the cake, it’s so good I can’t even think of anything more to say.

So, without further ado, here is the updated recipe:

Caramelized Pear Upside-Down Cake

Here is what you need:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (I always use the convection setting on my oven because it seems to cook more evenly.) Lightly butter the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan.

Step 2: Combine the 4 Tbsp butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small saucepan and heat to boiling, then remove from heat. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Step 3: Then arrange the pears over the butter mixture and press down.

Step 4: Beat the 6 TBSP butter and white sugar with an electric mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until very smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Step 5: Sprinkle in the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt, and beat 10 seconds. Pour in the milk and beat just until the batter is evenly moistened, about 1 minute. Pour the batter over the pears, then carefully lift the pan and bang back down on the counter once or twice to release any air bubbles.

Step 6: Bake approximately 35 minutes (watch closely if using convection setting!), or until a knife comes out clean. Run a knife along the outer edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Place a plate over the cake, then flip it over to invert the cake onto the pan.

Step 7: Let the cake cool completely before serving. Best served the same day.

Other dessert recipes you’ll love:

• Lemon Bundt Cake
• 5 Ingredient Pear Tart (It’s Fast, Easy & Delicious!)
• Oh-So-Easy Caramel Apple Pie

5 from 1 vote

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Caramelized Pear Upside-Down Cake

Quite possibly the world's most perfect dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Caramelized Pear Upside-Down Cake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing) very soft
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• dash nutmeg
• 3 ripe but still firm pears thinly sliced
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (I always use the convection setting on my oven because it seems to cook more evenly.) Lightly butter the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan.

2. Combine the 4TBSP butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small saucepan and heat to boiling. Remove from heat and scrape mixture into the prepared pan spreading evenly.

3. Next, arrange the pears over the butter mixture and press down.

4. Beat the 6TBSP butter and white sugar with an electric mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until very smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

5. Sprinkle in the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt, then beat for 10 seconds. Pour in the milk and beat just until the batter is evenly moistened, about 1 minute. 

6. Pour the batter over the pears then carefully lift the pan and bang back down on the counter once or twice to release any air bubbles.

7. Bake approximately 35 minutes (watch closely if using convection setting!), or until a knife comes out clean. 

8. Run a knife along the outer edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Place a plate over the cake, then flip it over to invert the cake onto the pan.

9. Let the cake cool completely before serving. Best served the same day.

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