UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR GINGERBREAD

UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR GINGERBREAD image

Number Of Ingredients 14

Topping: 4T unsalted butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 ripe but firm pears, preferably Bosc or Anjou
Cake: 1 cup unbleached flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 t cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground cloves
1 egg
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1/2 cup sour milk
4 T melted butter

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter sides of 9-inch round cake pan. 2. prepare topping: melt butter in saucepan. add brown sugar and stir together until blended. Scrape into cake pan and spread evenly. 3. Peel and slice each pear into quarters; remove and discard cores. Slice each quarter into 3 slices. Arrange 24 slices evenly around pan. 4. Make cake: in large bowl combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves. In separate bowl beat together egg, brown sugar, molasses, sour milk and melted butter. Scrape into flour mixture and mix until well blended. 5. Pour the batter over the pears. Bake 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with whipped cream. Tips: To make sour milk, combine 1/2 cup milk with 1T vinegar and let sit 5 minutes.