Pear Spice Upside-Down Cake

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So many pears on our tree! So I googled for a pear dessert, and found this recipe for Pear Spice Upside-Down Cake that looked good - and it was! And relatively healthy, too. The freshly pureed pears makes it spongy and light, and removes the need for oil. I adapted it to make two 8-inch rounds (rather than one 9-inch) since that's what I have -- and why not round up? For the bottom, you can use pear (or other fruit) slices, or  a berry topping from this NYT recipe (I did that when we had lots of blackberries!). If you use pear slices, make sure they are very ripe or they can be too hard even when cooked. The pears used in the puree can (optionally) be more green. The pear sauce, ginger, and spice combination in the cake is delicious.

Ingredients

Dry:
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
4 tsp tapioca or 1.5 T cornstarch
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cloves

Wet:
2 cups (generous) freshly pureed pears (4-5 large pears whipped in a food processor)
3 T water
1/2 C maple syrup 
1 T lemon zest
1 1/2 T lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pear topping:
2 ripe pears, sliced
1/2 C maple syrup

Alternate berry bottom:
4 T vegan butter
1/3 C brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 T lemon juice
3 C fresh or frozen berries (can toss in some chopped pears)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. 

Prepare the topping:

Line bottom of two 8-inch round pans with parchment paper cut to fit. 

For the pear bottom: peel a couple of pears, and cut into thin slices (< 1/4 inch).  Arrange pear slices on parchment paper. In each pan, pour 1/4 C maple syrup over the pears.

For the berry bottom: Melt the butter, add brown sugar, salt, and and lemon, and cook for 2-3 minutes until a little carmely smelling. Add the berries and cook another minute. Let cool and layer on parchment paper.

Prepare the cake: 

Combine dry ingredients. Set aside.

Blend the rest of the pears with 3 T water, until consistency of applesauce. Use enough pears to get 2 generous cups worth of sauce. Add blended pears, syrup, lemon juice and vanilla to dry and mix until just combined; don't over-stir. It will feel light and airy!

(Note: Using fresh pears whipped to a puree in a food processor gives the cake a very light, spongy texture. If you're using canned or frozen & thawed puree,  you'll end up with a heavier cake. Try to whip air into it, or use portion of some freshly whipped.)
 
Pour batter over the fruit. Back for 40-45 minutes at 350 (or until toothpick comes out clean).

Run a knife around the edge to loosen any stuck parts of the cake. Place a serving dish over it and invert. Carefully peel off parchment paper.  Let it cool and serve. It tastes even better cool/cold!

One to eat, one to give away!


Alternate berry topping (same pear puree cake):





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