The pears were going to go bad if I didn’t do something with them. I really wanted to make a sort of Tarte Tartin. So, I pulled out my recipe books and hit Pinterest. Nothing really caught my eye, so I combined a fresh apple cake recipe from my Southern Sideboards cookbook, put together by Jackson, Mississippi’s Junior League, and my idea of what I wanted the upside down part to look like. I also tweaked the cake recipe a bit. It called for oil. I use butter-REAL butter. I mean what isn’t better with butter?
My husband and parents loved the cake so I made it for hubby’s b-day. Some have asked for the recipe, so Ill share it with you.
Fresh Upside-Down Apple Pear Cake
Upside Down Portion
- 2 to 4 pears depending on size
- Cinnamon-1/2 tsp or to taste
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- Juice of 2 or 3 small oranges
- 4 Tbs Butter-melted
- 1/4c to 1/3 c brown sugar
Wrap foil around the bottom of a spring form pan to prevent leaking. Peel, core, and slice the pears. Toss them with the cinnamon, orange juice and vanilla. Arrange them in a circular pattern in a spring form pan. Sprinkle the brown-sugar over the pears to cover, drizzle the melted butter over the sugar; set aside.
Cake
- 1c softened to almost melted butter
- 2c sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 1/2c flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1tsp baking soda
- 1tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 cups peeled, chopped pears and apples
- 1 c pecans or walnuts, ground or chopped for more texture
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, Sift together dry ingredients and add to mixture. Fold in apples and nuts.
Batter will be thick. Spoon it over the pears careful not to disturb them so you don’t lose the pattern.
Bake one hour in a pre-heated oven at 325°F until golden brown. Remove from oven. Allow to cool a bit. Run a butter knife around the edge of the spring form pan. Remove the ring. Invert the cake onto the cake plate of your choice.
This can be served with powdered sugar sprinkled over it, a brown butter icing drizzle, a rum or maple icing drizzle, or a cream cheese icing drizzle. I choose to serve it as is.
NOTE: The measurements for the upside-down portion are estimates. I don’t have a recipe for this, so I just eyeball it. It may take more or less butter and sugar. I always use more vanilla than the pros say to use. The cake recipe is from Southern Sideboards, Jackson, Mississippi Junior League.
Jamie Lyn's Inkwell 