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Upside Down Pear Cake

A simple, delicious cake featuring poached pears.
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Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Poached Pears
  • 3 pears, peeled, halved and cored removed
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise
Cake
  • 180 g sugar
  • 160 g butter, room temperature, diced
  • 2 eggs
  • 200 g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

Method
 

Poach the Pears
  1. Put the water and sugar into a medium saucepan and stir over moderate heat until sugar is dissolved.
  2. Add the cinnamon and star anise and simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the pears and simmer for around 20 minutes, or until pears are tender. You still want them to hold their shape.
  4. Carefully remove the pears from the liquid and set aside to cool. If you want to drizzle the syrup over the cake at the end, put the pot back on the heat and bring to the boil. Cook for 15 minutes, or until liquid has reduced and has become syrupy. Set aside to cool.
Make the Cake
  1. Preheat your oven to 180 C ( 160 C fan forced) and line the base of a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in-between additions.
  3. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, milk and vanilla and fold with a spatula so that everything is combined and batter is smooth.
  4. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the base of the cake tin.  Add the poached pears, cut side down, then pour the cake batter over the top. Smooth the top with a knife or spatula so it is even.
  5. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to sit in the tin for 15 minutes to settle before carefully turning out onto a plate. Peel away the baking paper which may be stuck to the top. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the syrup over the top if you like.
  7. Eat warm or cold.