Almond Pear Upside Down Cake
Red Anjou pears, because of their firm texture, hold up well in this upside-down cake. Warm, fragrant fall spices compliment the moist almond flour and vanilla, creating a decadently moist cake that you can serve for breakfast or dessert. Top with a maple-flavored whipped cream or serve the cake warm with vanilla ice cream. To cut your pear evenly, begin by dividing it into quarters, then quarter the quarters, cutting out the seeds as needed.
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- ⅓ c unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 c almond flour
- ½ c unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp Diamond Kosher Salt
- 1 ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp allspice
- A pinch of fresh nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- ¾ c white sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
Caramelized Pear
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ c kosher salt
- ⅓ c brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp allspice
- 1 medium Red Anjou pear, sliced into 16 equal pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10’’ springform pan with butter or cooking spray, then line the bottom with a parchment paper round.
- In a small bowl, combine 3 Tbsp of unsalted butter, 1/4 tsp salt, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Heat in microwave for 30-45 seconds until the butter has melted. Whisk together, then spread onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer the pear slices in a spiral fashion on top. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the flour, almond flour, butter, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat on medium until combined and creamed, 1 minutes. Add the sugar and baking powder and beat on medium-high until smooth, 60-90 seconds. Finally, beat in the eggs on medium one at a time, waiting 10 seconds before adding the next egg. Beat until eggs are incorporated. Pour the batter over the pears and gently smooth out.
- Place on the center rack of the oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool 15 minutes until the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan. Use a knife to release the cake from the outer ring, then invert the cake onto a serving platter or cake stand. Serve warm with ice cream or chilled with whipped cream.