Ginger Pear Upside Down Cake

This Ginger Pear Upside Down Cake is phenomenal and yet so easy! Sliced juicy pears are sprinkled with crystallized ginger, topped with a bourbon brown butter glaze and then bake under a brown butter and vanilla buttermilk cake. This recipe will serve 8 to 12 depending.

I love cakes that I don’t have to frost.

And this ginger pear brown butter upside down cake is what I mean. In it, sliced pears are sprinkled with crystallized ginger, then topped with a bourbon brown butter glaze – and if that wasn’t decadent enough, the pears are then top all that with a brown butter vanilla buttermilk cake batter.

Which reminds me, have I ever mentioned to you about my infatuation with browned butter? Okay, so it’s more like a full-blown obsession, kind of like my crush on Brad Pitt in the 10th grade. Yet this one I doubt I’ll get over. So, yes it’s true. I love brown butter. In fact, I can’t help but see butter in a recipe and have the urge to brown it. And that’s why I had to make a brown butter cake. Because brown butter cake needs a home and its home is in my mouth.

Let’s bake!

To Make This Ginger Pear Upside Down Cake You Will Need:

for the pears:

• bosc pears – Ripe yet not overly ripe pears that are still a bit firm.
• crystallized ginger – Adds delicious pockets of sweet ginger flavor.
• (unsalted) brown butter – Lends richness and nutty flavor to the glaze.
• light brown sugar – Lends sweetness and subtle caramel notes.
• fine salt – Enhances the flavors and draws out the juices of the pears.
• bourbon – Reinforces the vanilla and caramel flavors.

for the cake:

• unbleached all-purpose flour – The base for the cake batter.
• granulated sugar (white) – For sweetening and flavor.
• baking powder – Will create lightness in the batter, which makes it rise.
• baking soda – Reacts with the buttermilk to make these light and airy.
• nutmeg – Warm, aromatic with subtle hints of clove.
• fine salt – Helps balance the sweetness and enhances all the flavors in this cake.
• eggs – Adds richness and flavor.
• buttermilk – Lends delicious tangy flavor and reacts with the baking soda for light and fluffy cake.
• vanilla bean paste – Or use the seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean pod or use pure vanilla extract.
• brown butter – Lends richness, tenderness and nuttiness to the cake.

Prep your pan and Oven:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (or 180°C).

Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and spray with a nonstick baking spray with flour.

Prepare the Fruit Layer:

Peel and core 2 bosc pears (removing the stem fibers that run down the middle as well) and arrange the pears in a spiral of sorts. You might not fit all of the pears so consider any remaining slices a snack 🙂

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of crystallized ginger over the pears.

Brown The Butter:

Brown 1/2 cup of unsalted butter in a skillet over medium heat until the milk solids bubble and froth and eventually turn golden brown. Measure 1/4 cup and set off to the side to use in the cake.

Make The Pear Layer:

To the remaining brown butter in the saucepan add 1/4 cup light brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Stirring until combined.

Next pour in 2 tablespoons bourbon.

Stirring until incorporated.

Pour the bourbon brown butter mixture over the pears and set off to the side. If the butter solidifies, don’t worry it will melt again when baking.

Make The Cake:

In a large mixing bowl, measure and add 1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt.

Whisk together the dry ingredients and set off to the side.

In a liquid measuring cup, measure and add 1/2 cup buttermilk, 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste.

Whisk well to combine.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients.

Switch to a spatula, and stir until combined.

Lastly, pour in the reserved 1/4 cup of brown butter.

Stirring until combined.

Pour the batter over top of the pears.

Using an offset spatula, spread the cake batter out evenly. Bake the cake on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.

Let the cake rest for 30 minutes before running a knife along the edge and then inverting the cake onto a platter.

Once inverted, carefully pull back the payment paper.

Serve slightly warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

And forks. I guess.

I love love love this ginger pear upside down cake. The brown butter cake, tender pears and pockets of sweet ginger is perfection. And because this is an upside down cake no frosting is necessary! #bonus

HOW TO STORE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE?

Once the cake has cooled completely, store in an air-tight container (linked in recipe printable) at room temperature.

HOW LONG WILL HOMEMADE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE LAST?

In my opinion, it is best to enjoy this cake the day of being made.  However, if stored properly, it will last for up to 3 to 4 days.

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Enjoy! And if you give this Ginger Pear Upside Down Cake recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

This recipe was originally posted on December 18, 2013 and has been updated with clear and concise instructions, new photography and helpful information.