Pear Caramel Cake

Ingredients

For the top:

2 pears peeled and cored and cut into ¼ inch slices

1 basic caramel recipe (below)

4 T salted butter

For the cake:

1 ½ cups flour

1 ¾ tsp baking powder

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

½ cup milk

1 ½ tsp vanilla

8 T butter softened

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

Procedure

1. Butter a 9-inch cake pan (don’t use one with a removable bottom as the liquid may seep out).  Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter it as well.

2. Arrange the prepared pear slices in a circle to cover the bottom of the cake pan.

3. Cream the butter and brown sugar till light and fluffy and then add eggs one at a time.  Mix until well blended. 

4. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and then mix the milk and vanilla in another small dish.

5. Add the dry ingredients and milk mixture alternately to the brown sugar mixture ending with the last of the dry ingredients.  Set aside while you make the caramel.

6. To make the caramel, put one cup of white sugar, 1//4 tsp lemon juice, and ¼ cup of water in a heavy saucepan.  Keep a glass filled with water and a pastry brush at hand.  Swirl the sugar mixture around so everything is mixed together.  Do not use a spoon to do this.  Just swirl it by holding the pot handle.  Bring the mixture to a boil and keep boiling till the caramel is light brown in color.  If you see sugar crystals forming around the edge of the pan, use the pastry brush dipped in the water to brush it back into the sugar mixture.  When the mixture is the right color (light caramel brown), remove from the heat and add the 4T salted butter a little at a time, stirring all the time till the mixture is smooth and creamy.  Then pour it over the pears in the cake pan, spreading evenly over the whole surface.

7. Pour the cake batter over the pears and caramel and bake in the oven at 350ºF for about 30-35 minutes.  Let cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.

Serve the cake alone or with a dollop of cream or ice cream.