maple pear upside down cake
11.10.2010
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so I’ve been scouring the recipe archives for a fall cake that doesn’t rely on traditional pumpkin or apple flavors. This one would do quite nicely... and it makes a beautiful presentation on the dessert buffet!
{image & recipe via the new york times}
Maple Pear Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
11 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 to 4 pears , peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium heat; add maple syrup and brown sugar and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes; remove from heat and set aside. When mixture has cooled a bit, pour it into a 9-inch baking pan and arrange pear slices in an overlapping circle on top.
2. With a handheld or standing mixer, beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, one egg at a time, continuing to mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with milk; do not overmix. Carefully spread batter over pears, using a spatula to make sure it is evenly distributed. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 45 to 50 minutes; a toothpick inserted into center should come out clean. Let cake cool for 5 minutes.
4. Run a knife around edge of pan; put a plate on top of cake and carefully flip it so plate is on bottom and pan is on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings.
Tips:
-The key is to use enough butter, sugar and, in this case, maple syrup to caramelize the pears: they should be from golden to mahogany in color.
-The pear slices will float around a bit as you add them to the warm syrup mixture in the pan. Lay them as evenly as you can, in an overlapping circle, but don’t fret; they’ll look fine once cooked.
-Depending on the type of pears and their ripeness, you may have extra liquid after the cake is done. That’s fine, but be careful not to burn yourself with it when you flip the cake. Then pour this syrup over the cake, making it tender, sweet and gooey.
Ingredients
11 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 to 4 pears , peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium heat; add maple syrup and brown sugar and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes; remove from heat and set aside. When mixture has cooled a bit, pour it into a 9-inch baking pan and arrange pear slices in an overlapping circle on top.
2. With a handheld or standing mixer, beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, one egg at a time, continuing to mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with milk; do not overmix. Carefully spread batter over pears, using a spatula to make sure it is evenly distributed. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 45 to 50 minutes; a toothpick inserted into center should come out clean. Let cake cool for 5 minutes.
4. Run a knife around edge of pan; put a plate on top of cake and carefully flip it so plate is on bottom and pan is on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings.
Tips:
-The key is to use enough butter, sugar and, in this case, maple syrup to caramelize the pears: they should be from golden to mahogany in color.
-The pear slices will float around a bit as you add them to the warm syrup mixture in the pan. Lay them as evenly as you can, in an overlapping circle, but don’t fret; they’ll look fine once cooked.
-Depending on the type of pears and their ripeness, you may have extra liquid after the cake is done. That’s fine, but be careful not to burn yourself with it when you flip the cake. Then pour this syrup over the cake, making it tender, sweet and gooey.
That looks like a little slice of heaven! Mind shipping a piece to NY?
This looks incredible!!! MMM and paired with a fresh cup of coffee ... YUM!
Yum! and its pretty too!