Sticky Pear And Ginger Upside Down Dessert Cake

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Indulge in the irresistible flavors of sticky pear and ginger upside-down dessert cake, drizzled with luscious butterscotch sauce. This delectable treat features tender pears nestled in a ginger-infused cake, topped with a caramelized brown sugar crust.

Cake

  • 80g castor sugar
  • 170g brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 160ml olive oil
  • 75ml buttermilk
  • 60ml ginger syrup
  • 80g ground almonds
  • 160g cake flour
  • 10ml baking powder
  • 2.5ml salt
  • 80ml preserved ginger
  • 5 pears

Butterscotch Sauce

  • 100g butter
  • 200g brown sugar
  • 150ml cream
  • 5ml vanilla

  • Preheat the oven to 170 °C and grease and line a 20 cm cake tin with baking paper.
  • Melt the caster sugar in a saucepan on very low heat – do not stir. Allow to heat until it turns into a light caramel colour. Pour the caramel carefully into the prepared tin, and spread it thinly over the surface.
  • Beat together the brown sugar and eggs until light and fluffy, then slowly add the olive oil while still beating. Then, add the buttermilk and ginger syrup.
  • Sift together the dry ingredients and add them to the egg mixture, beating on a low speed until just combined.
  • Peel two of the pears and grate them, then mix them into the batter as well as the chopped preserved ginger.
  • Cut the other 3 pears into 5 mm thick slices and arrange them on top of the caramel. Spoon over the batter and tap the tin lightly. Bake for ±45 minutes and allow to cool in the cake tin.
  • Serve with whipped cream, crème fraiche or ice cream and a caramel sauce.

Butterscotch Sauce

  • Mix together the ingredients for the butterscotch sauce in a small saucepan on medium heat. Stir to melt the sugar and cook until it is thick and a syrup (110°C). Optionally, stir in 5 ml Maldon salt.