Pear Upside-Down Cake
Inside: The trick to melting sugar for caramel and my simple trick for getting the upside-down pear cake out of the pan.
This Pear Upside-Down Cake recipe is a simple yet elegant dessert, perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It starts with fresh pears with dark caramel and a moist cake batter. This show-stopping treat is easy to make and is sure to please everyone at your table.
Pears are one of my favorite fruits for making fall and winter desserts. I use them for this Dutch style Pear Pie, this warm, cozy Pear Crumble with Ginger and Almonds and these simple Autumn Spiced Baked Pears that were my grandmother’s specialty.
When they’re ripe and at their peak, Anjou, Bosc or Bartlett pears are juicy with a subtly spiced sweetness and are especially delicious in this simple but eye-popping pear upside-down cake.
I add a few handfuls of fresh cranberries for oozy, jammy-tart pops throughout the spiced crumb to make it more festive.
Best of all, you don’t need any special pastry skills to make this stunning dessert.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Fresh sliced pears mingle with the dark caramel sauce, creating a moist, golden crown for a celebratory dessert showpiece.
- It’s a no-fuss dessert because there’s no need for icings, frostings and hours of decorating,
- Thanks to my easy hack, it pops out of the cake pan easily with no sticking.
- The buttery sweetness of the cake is balanced by the not-too-sweet caramelized pears and burst cranberry pockets.
- Leftovers are great the next day.
Ingredients for pear upside-down cake:
- Pears–you can use ripe Bosc pears, Anjou or Bartlett. The fruit shouldn’t be too hard and yield slightly at the stem when pressed with your thumb.
- Granulated Sugar–for making the caramel sauce. Avoid brown sugar.
- Lemon Juice–just a smidge will help prevent the caramel from re-crystallizing.
- Unsalted Butter–adding butter to caramelized sugar will keep it in a liquid form, so that it can be poured over the sliced pears and meld with their natural juices. If you don’t add butter, the caramel will harden as it cools. You’ll also need softened butter for assembling the cake batter.
- All Purpose Flour–I use King Arthur’s unbleached all purpose flour.
- Baking Powder–for leavening. Ensure that your baking powder hasn’t expired as the leavening capacity lessens after the expiration date.
- Ground Cinnamon–adds a warm spice to the cake base.
- Ground Cardamom–has a floral-spiced aroma that blends well with cinnamon.
- Ground Ginger–is commonly paired with pears and adds a slight heat and spice to the cake batter.
- Iodized Salt–adding salt to the cake batter will make the other flavors brighter and more noticeable. Don’t skip it.
- Milk–I use whole milk, but you will have success with low-fat or skim as well. You could even swap for almond milk.
- Pure Vanilla Extract–or vanilla bean paste.
- Light Brown Sugar–to sweeten the pear cake base.
- Eggs–for a moist tender crumb.
- Cranberries–this is optional but it lends a holiday feel to this dessert. You can use fresh or frozen fruit.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler and halve them lengthwise. Use a melon baller to remove the seeds in the center of the fruit and peel away any tough stems.
- Rest the fruit, cut side down and cut the pears into ¼” slices. Line a 9″ cake pan with a round of parchment paper and arrange the sliced pears in a concentric pattern to cover the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the sugar and lemon juice to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium-high heat without stirring until the bottom layer of sugar begins to dissolve. This may take a few minutes (2-5) depending on your burner. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the caramel turns a deep brown amber color (try not to splash the caramel on the sides of the pan).
4. Once the caramel is dark brown whisk in a tablespoon of butter at a time, and only add the next pat after the first is melted. The caramel may bubble and froth with the first few pats of butter.
5. Pour the caramel sauce evenly over the pears in the cake pan and set aside.
6. In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar until it’s light and fluffy, then add the brown sugar and cream them together until light and evenly combined.
7. Beat the eggs into the butter mixture one at a time until evenly blended.
8. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and salt in a small bowl. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a glass measuring cup. Add the dry and wet ingredients to the batter, alternating between them until combined.
9. Fold the cranberries (if using) into the cake batter.
10. Spoon the batter over the pears and caramel sauce and smooth into an even layer.
11. Bake at 350° F. for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the pear cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack before inverting it onto a cake plate.
12. Run a thin knife around the edges of the baked dessert to loosen any stuck bits. Place an inverted cake platter over the baking pan and flip the pear upside-down cake onto the platter in one swift motion. Peel away the parchment paper and discard.
Pro-Tips:
- Using a round piece of parchment paper to line the bottom of the cake pan is my hack for releasing the upside-down cake despite the sticky caramel and pears. Please don’t skip it.
- It’s important not to jump around in this recipe; though many folks don’t prepare their cake pans until the batter is ready, you need to follow this recipe in its original order, starting with the parchment paper and pears, followed by the caramel.
- Making caramel is easy, but it does require a watchful eye. Don’t step away from the pan while the sugar is caramelizing and don’t start stirring until the bottom layer of the sugar begins to melt.
- Gently stir the sugar in the center of the pan, moving the crystals from the top to the bottom so they can dissolve. Do not run your spoon around the sides until most of it has dissolved.
- Don’t leave the stove while you’re caramelizing the sugar. The caramel goes from a transparent or light color to golden to amber. You don’t want it too dark, or it can burn.
- Pour the hot caramel immediately over the pears to prevent it from hardening in the pot. It needs to be liquid to coat the fruit.
- The key to a light, tender cake crumb is to whip the butter well BEFORE adding the sugar. Then, beat in the brown sugar and whip until VERY LIGHT AND FLUFFY (about 3 minutes).
- After adding the flour, avoid overmixing; otherwise, you risk developing gluten and getting a dense or chewy cake.
- Cool the pear cake in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a platter.
Swaps and Variations:
- Instead of using pears, swap with thinly sliced apples for an apple upside-down cake.
- Swap ground nutmeg for the ginger for a warmer spice aroma.
- Add a drizzle of caramel sauce or Spiced Cider Rum Sauce for extra decadence.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or try Bourbon Pralines and Cream Ice Cream.
FAQs
I recommend a well-insulated 9″ aluminum baking pan with 2″-3″ high sides. This will promote even cooking and can prevent overflows.
I prefer to peel the pears, but it’s optional. Remove the seeds as well as the fibrous stem before slicing.
Allowing the cake to rest and cool for a few minutes before turning it out onto a platter gives the confection more structure to prevent tears.
Storage:
- Store the pear upside-down cake covered at room temperature for the first day, but keep it in the refrigerator after that to prevent spoilage of the fruit.
- Let the pear cake come to room temperature before slicing for the best flavor. (Cold temperatures can mute the flavor, so letting it come up a few degrees will make the flavors pop).
Freezing:
- Freeze leftovers in a double layer of plastic wrap followed by freezer paper for up to 2 months. Be sure to freeze it pear-side up.
- Defrost the pear cake completely before enjoying.
How does the pear upside-down cake taste?
What makes this Thanksgiving or Christmas cake special is that it’s not overly sweet.
The juicy, tender pears mingled with the dark caramel create an irresistible soft-pudgy-fruity topping. You’ll also love the pops of tangy cranberry, which counters the sweetly spiced cake crumb.
I recommend serving slices of the pear upside down cake with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream for a company-worthy, holiday-appropriate fall dessert.
More fall fruit desserts to try:
More fall fruit cakes you’ll love:
Pear Upside-Down Cake
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- 9" cake pan
- parchment paper
INGREDIENTS:
FOR CARAMELIZED PEARS
- 2 large ripe pears (Bosc, D'Anjou or Bartlett work well)
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (4 tablespoons)
FOR CRANBERRY CAKE
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (8 tablespoons/1 stick) at room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries optional
DIRECTIONS:
PREPARE THE PAN AND PEARS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x2" round cake pan with a round of parchment paper. Spray with vegetable spray and set aside.
- Peel 2 large ripe pears, slice in half and remove the seeds (I use a melon baller for this). Slice the pears into ¼" slices and arrange over the parchment paper, slightly overlapping the pears.
MAKE THE CARAMEL:
- Add 1 cup sugar and ½ teaspoon lemon juice to a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Don't stir or disturb it. The crystals closest to the pan will begin to melt and caramelize.
- Once it starts to dissolve, carefully stir it to mix the sugar crystals on top with the melted sugar beneath it. Do not splash the sugar onto the sides of the pan. (If a lot of sugar crystals stick to the sides of the pan, you can brush them down with a little water, but it's easier if you don't get the sugar on the pan.)
- Continue to cook, allowing the sugar to caramelize and darken to a medium-amber color, but remove it from the heat before it gets too dark or smells like it's burning. Stir in ¼ cup unsalted butter one tablespoon at a time, until melted before adding the next tablespoon.
- Immediately pour the caramel sauce over the pears. It will fill in and around the gaps. Set aside.
MAKE THE CRANBERRY CAKE
- In a small bowl, combine 1 ½ cups all purpose flour, 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Place ½ cup unsalted butter in a large bowl and use a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat until soft and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go.
- Add 1 cup light brown sugar to the butter and beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until the mixture is very light and fluffy. Add 2 large eggs one at a time, beating until well blended before adding the next egg.
- Combine ½ cup milk and 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or paste) and whisk together.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture to the creamed butter, beating just until the ingredients are combined before adding the next. Do this in 5 additions starting with the flour. The batter will be thick.
- Fold in 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, if using.
- Spoon the batter over the pears and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before running a sharp knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it. Place a cake platter over the top of the cake and quickly invert it onto the platter. Lift the pan and pull away the parchment paper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
NOTES:
- Garnish with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream or whipped cream to take it to the next level.
NUTRITION:
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Could you use a butter substitute and almond or coconut milk to make it non dairy. It really look delish
Yes, using alternative or non-dairy options should work fine for this recipe.
I don’t see a quantity for the cranberries– what are other people using?
Hi Meg! It’s one cup of cranberries.
What a tasty recipe! My whole family love this one and I’ll definitely be making again!
This cake is worth a million seconds to make it! 🙂 The looks are incredible, and I can’t even imagine what’s going on with the taste! 🙂 I guess there is only one way to fix it – make this cake myself! I am saving this recipe for the holidays as it fits my plans perfectly!
What a delicious flavor combination! My husband is going to love this dessert. Pears are his favorite!
This has all my favorite flavors in it!! Such a great recipe…thank you!
What a gorgeous cake and beautiful presentation! The flavors are just amazing for the holidays. This is hands-down perfection!! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
What a beautiful cake! Love pear and cranberry… such perfect fall flavors!
thanks, Chris! My guy doesn’t like pumpkin in pies etc. – so I’m limited to other fall fruit.
This must be delicious Lisa…nice combo pear+cranberry. I wish you can share me one slice please 🙂
I would happily share, if there were any left!