Pear and Gingerbread Upside Down Cake

This is more of a cold-weather cake, full of warming wintry spices. However, I thought I'd add the recipe here now, to enjoy on those colder days of spring! 

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Pear and Gingerbread Upside Down Cake

You will need:

For the topping:

• 50g unsalted butter            
• 75-100g soft brown sugar
• 4 ripe pears (peeled & halved) or medium tin drained

For the cake:

• 100g self-raising flour               
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda             
• 1/4 tsp salt                                         
• 2 tsps cinnamon                                 
• 1 tsp ground ginger                            
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1 beaten egg
• 110ml soured milk (add few drops of lemon juice)
• 100g soft brown sugar  
• 75 g black treacle
• 50g unsalted butter

Method:

Topping:

1. Mix butter and sugar and beat for 2 mins with a wooden spoon or electric whisk until creamy. 
2. Spread this all over the base of  your tin. (I used Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Pan, but you could use any large tin)
3. Arrange pears round side up, around the base, pressing them into the butter-sugar mixture.

Cake: 

1. Set oven Gas 4-5.
2. Mix sifted flour, bicarb, salt, spices in a large bowl until fully combined.
3. Mix together the egg & soured milk in a jug. 
4. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the sugar and treacle, mixing til fully combined and the sugar is dissolved. 
5. Once the mixture is cool, add egg & milk to this. Beat until thoroughly mixed.
6. Add all the liquid ingredients to the flour, bicarb, salt & spices and mix well until smooth.
7. Pour mixture over the pears. (Do not worry if it looks like a very small amount of mix, this cake should rise very well)
8. Bake for 40-50 mins, until a skewer comes out clean.
9. Turn the cake out while still hot, otherwise the sugar/butter topping will set hard and it will become stuck. 

As this is a very rich and sweet cake, I think it is best served with creme fraiche, to provide a slight sharpness. You could also serve with natural yogurt for the same effect. 

(Apologies for the Christmassy background...I have been meaning to post this for a while!)

Love, Chloe xx 

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