Pear "Upside Down" Cake

This delicious, spiced, sponge cake covered with pears and caramel is best to indulge any time of the day. Yummy of course!

Ingredients:

For the cake:

All purpose flour – 1½ cups 

Sugar – 1 cup (powdered)

Baking powder – 2½ tsp 

Salt – ¼ tsp 

Butter - 1 cup

Egg – 2 

Milk – ¾ cup 

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Cinnamon powder- 1½ to 2 tsp

For the topping:

Unsalted butter -  ¼ cup

Dark brown sugar- ½ cup

Ripe pears- 3

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180 deg. C and prepare the baking tin; keep aside. 

Sift together flour, cinnamon powder, baking powder and salt.  Keep aside.

For topping:

Place saucepan over medium heat; Melt brown sugar and butter stirring continuously until sugar is dissolved.

Allow to boil for few more minutes till the bubbles start to appear around the edges; Switch off the flame.

Pour that into cake pan (9-inch round) prepared earlier.

Peel and core the pears; cut into ¼ inch-thick wedges and arrange them in a circular pattern over the brown sugar mixture to cover completely.  Set aside

For cake batter:

Beat sugar and butter till it becomes fluffy and light.

Add eggs one by one and beat it thoroughly. Then add vanilla essence and milk.

Fold in the flour mixture into the wet ingredients; use the spatula to mix evenly.

Spread the batter evenly over the pears without disturbing them.

Bake at 180 deg C for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 

Once done, remove the cake from the oven and allow it cool.  Invert onto serving plate.

Garnish with sliced cherries.  Now your pear upside down cake is ready to serve! 

Serve warm with a dollop of ice cream.