Pear and Ginger Upside-Down Cake
Tender sliced pears baked in golden caramel over a warmly spiced ginger sponge. A cosy autumn bake celebrating Tamar Valley orchard fruit.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Equipment
- •20 cm round cake tin
- •baking paper
- •small saucepan
- •electric beaters
- •mixing bowls
- •wire cooling rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 46 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 4 g
- calories
- 340 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
- 2
Grease a 20 cm round cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.
- 3
Melt 50 g butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat until smooth and combined.
- 4
Pour the caramel into the prepared tin and arrange the sliced pears neatly across the base.
- 5
Beat the softened butter and caster sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy.
- 6
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- 7
Beat in the golden syrup and grated fresh ginger.
- 8
Sift in the self-raising flour, ground ginger, and cinnamon.
- 9
Fold the flour mixture gently into the batter, alternating with the milk, until just combined.
- 10
Spoon the batter carefully over the pears and smooth the top with a spatula.
- 11
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- 12
Rest in the tin for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate and peel away the paper.
Chef's tips
Choose firm pears like Beurre Bosc or Packham so they hold their shape during baking. Do not let the cake sit in the tin longer than 10 minutes after baking, or the caramel will stick to the bottom.
Ingredient substitutions
- golden syrup → treacle or dark maple syrup
- self-raising flour → 150 g plain flour sifted with 1.5 tsp baking powder
Storage
Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Warm individual slices in a 160°C oven for 6 to 8 minutes or microwave briefly for 20 seconds.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using overripe, soft pears, which turn mushy and release excess water into the caramel.
- •Inverting the cake immediately straight from the oven while the crumb is too fragile.
- •Waiting too long to invert the cake, causing the cooled caramel to stick stubbornly to the tin.
Serving suggestions
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