Pear Upside-Down Chocolate Cake
- Total: 1 hr 50 min
- Prep: 40 min
- Inactive: 20 min
- Cook: 50 min
Ingredients
Pears:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 Bosc pears, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored
Cake:
1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground toasted almonds
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch-process), plus additional for dusting
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
- 1. For the pears: Lightly butter a 9-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and butter the paper. Put the butter, brown sugar, and lemon zest and juice in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until melted. Add the pears, cover, and simmer, turning once, until the pears are soft and juicy, about 4 minutes. Pour the pears and their syrup into a strainer set over a saucepan. Set the syrup and 1 pear quarter aside. Arrange the pears, cut side down in a spoke-like pattern in the pan. Cut the reserved pear and use to fill the center.
- 2. For the cake: Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Scald milk in a small saucepan; keep warm. Whisk flour with almonds, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and gradually add granulated sugar; continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl. Add cocoa powder and vanilla and beat 1 minute. While mixing at medium-low speed, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- 3. While mixing slowly, add the flour mixture in 4 additions; turn off the mixer and fold in the hot milk with a rubber spatula. Spread the batter over the pears, taking care not to disturb the pattern. Tap the pan lightly on the counter to settle the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes, then invert the cake onto a serving plate. Cool briefly, carefully peel the parchment paper from the top, and then cool completely.
- 4. To finish the cake: Boil the reserved pear syrup until slightly thick and lightly brush the top of the cake with syrup. Whisk a few tablespoons of cocoa powder with an equal amount of confectioners' sugar, and sift over the cake; serve.