GINGERBREAD PEAR UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Use a 10-inch cast iron skillet, or according to Epicurious, you can use a 12-inch non-stick skillet if you wrap the handle in a double layer of foil.
• Peel pears and cut into quarters. Remove the core portion, and slice each quarter lengthwise into four slices.
• Heat the skillet to medium on the stove top and melt 1/4 cup butter. Cook butter until the foam on top of the butter starts to go away.
• Reduce heat to low, and sprinkle the 3/4 cup packed brown sugar onto the butter. Let the brown sugar sit in the butter, without stirring, for three minutes.
• Carefully lay the pears into a circle in the sugar mixture.
• Leave the pears in the skillet (don't stir), still over low heat, for a couple more minutes, then remove from heat.
• Time to make the cake batter! Beat the 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and egg in a large bowl.
• Boil the water, and stir in the corn syrup and molasses. Remove from heat.
• Sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt over the butter, egg, and sugar mixture, and mix on slow speed just until it begins to blend together.
• Slowly pour the molasses, corn syrup, and water mixture into the batter, while mixing on low speed, just until well blended.
• Pour the cake batter into the skillet, over all that pear and brown sugar goodness. The batter should be runny enough where it evens out naturally, but if it doesn't, just spread it out evenly.
• Place the skillet in your preheated (350 degrees) oven, and bake 40 to 50 minutes. Insert a toothpick (or actual cake tester if you're way cooler than me - I use a toothpick or, in especially desperate times, a raw spaghetti noodle, what can I say) into the center. When it comes out clean (no cake batter), it's done!
• Cool the cake on a rack for 5 minutes. Slip a knive around the edges to loosen for the flipping, and invert onto a cake plate.