When it’s as cold as it has been in New York recently, there is nothing better than baking a cake.
Ashley and I were looking at a great recipe for pineapple and cardamon upside-down cake, but wanted to adapt it to something more seasonal. We ended up modifying this recipe for pears to help keep our apartment warm and our bellies full.
We didn’t bother peeling the pears, but we did core them with a spoon.
As one would do with a tarte tatin, we heated the butter and sugar in a oven-safe frying pan and, once it was warm and bubbly, added the pear slices in a swirl. Rather than use pineapple juice, we bought some pear nectar.
We didn’t have any cardamon on hand, so we went to the store for some fresh stuff. It was so fresh, in fact, that although we used the lesser amount in the range recommended in the recipe, the flavor was still a bit more dominant than we would prefer. Ashley thought it tasted a bit reminiscent of an Indian sweet, like Gulab Jamun. Were we to make it again, I’d probably add it at the end and go 1/8th of a teaspoon at a time.
Once the batter was mixed, we poured it over the pears, and put the in the oven to bake for about 30 minutes.
We did add a final touch (on a slice-by-slice basis): we sprinkled a few drops of black strap rum over the finished cake.
Cardamon-dominance or not, it was divine.
Cardamon-dominance or not, it was divine.
Does anyone have favorite non-pineapple upside-down cakes? I’m a huge fan of the genre.
(P.S. Ashley’s latest Serious Eats post will be up on the site today–check it out!)
{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
i wouldn't mind a slice for breakfast! this looks fantastic.
I know I would love this. It looks delicious! I made a nectarine upside down cake last fall that I'd recommend: http://thesoho.blogspot.com/2010/09/nectarine-dream.html
OH MY GOD. I'm detoxing right now so this is definitely a no go for me this week but next week…. I have to save the recipe!!! Ymmmmmyyyyy
xxx
http://gypsy-diaries.blogspot.com/
omg. i would pay you $2,000 to mail me one of those (to germany). okay maybe not that much but almost.
This looks so yummy! I just found your blog last week and have already read through all your travels. My husband and I moved to the city this summer and will be taking full advantage of traveling like yall have. Thanks!!
http://spencermorgandesigns.blogspot.com
Mmm, that sounds delicious! I rather like cardamom, personally – do you have the cookbook "Spice"? The author groups her recipes by spice groups of three that work together – you should check what is supposed to complement cardamom!
windeater.blogspot.com
it looks so yummy~!!!
http://www.zizibloom.blogspot.com
Oh yum! I love your food posts, they always make me feel inspired.
what a great modification! looks delicious
we baked this weekend too. what else is there to do? it's freaking 8 degrees.
That looks amazing… and you're right, perfect for this cold snap we're in.
So yum looking! I've never made an upside down cake but love the idea of pears – perfect for this time of year!
I love upside-downs and this one sounds incredibly delicious. I will definitely give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
My blogfeed seems to be flooded with delicious recipes this morning. So much good food. This looks perfect for a cold winter day.
Oh that looks sooooo good!
I agree. Baking is all you can do in this kind of weather. I've tried perfecting scones with great results
I don't have a recipe I've tried, but this pear upsidedown cake from A Chow Life caught my attention a while back.
http://achowlife.com/2010/12/upside-down-pear-cake-my-breech-baby.html
oh I'm drooling! you are right, the cold weather calls for baking. I like that you altered the recipe and didn't go with the traditional ingredients. I would love to try this.
I'm off now to visit Ashley's post!
ps. yes, my nephew loved your book!
Ohh yes it's been really really cold here!! I live in Southern NY near NYC. This is such a cute cake!!! I love the pear idea!! =)
Melanie's Randomness
I found a recipe from fine cooking which we baked for my birthday and was wonderful. It is a dark chocolate banana caramel upside down cake. I also did a pear ginger molasses cake with pumpkin whipped cream for my mom's birthday and fantastic.
Yum – Although it is not cold down here in Flood stricken Brisbane! I do feel like an upside down cake too. Perhaps I will use the pineapple to make it more tropical and eat it with vanilla ice-cream.
I wish you and all of your neighbors the best in Brisbane, WTHI. The proportions of the flooding are just unimaginable. Glad that the suggestion of Pineapple Upside-down cake might add some levity.
Thank you for these tremendous suggestions! Um, dark chocolate banana caramel upside down cake? Yes, please!
Glad you like the photos. I wish there were leftovers…
Wow, if that were sitting in my kitchen right now it would be gone in 5 minutes. (And it's just me here right now!) Looks beautifully delicious.
Oh, this looks scrumptious! I have never tried pineapple upside down cake, but I certainly plan to one day! I will definitely have to try this recipe out one day!
Thank you for sharing! You have a very lovely blog.
Cheers!
anh♥
This is beautiful and perfect. I am going to make it today while the snow is falling…again. Thank you writing such an interesting blog!
I made a cake almost identical to this in a skillet but it used ginger instead of cardamom. Also remember really enjoying this one from Gourmet several years ago: http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2009/02/orange-polenta-cake
When I was a wee lass I used to make pineapple upside down cake for my family in the summer. But these beeeyootiful pics make me want to try the pear version. Thanks so much for sharing those gorgeous shots!
I just made a cranberry upside down cake and it was a huge hit. I used this recipe:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/11/upside-down-cranberry-cake/
Yum! So delicious.
Yum – I love pears in the Winter. I've always wanted to try poached pears in syrup as a dessert, sounds so indulgent!
ooooooooooooooooooo no. (as in – ooooooooooooooooooo yes)
I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff on this post