Caramel Pear Upside Down Cake Food

CARAMELIZED PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in heavy 10-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet over low heat. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Arrange quartered pears in flower design atop sugar, cutting some pieces to fit center if necessary.
• Whisk flour, 2/3 cup sugar, crystallized ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, ground ginger and salt in medium bowl to blend. Whisk eggs, oil, vanilla and orange peel in large bowl to blend. Mix in grated pears. Mix dry ingredients into egg mixture.
• Carefully pour batter over pears in skillet. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cake in skillet on rack 20 minutes. Run knife around skillet sides to loosen. Place plate on skillet over cake. Invert cake onto plate. Serve warm.

SALTED CARAMEL PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 195C/175C fan/gas 5 ½. Butter and line the base of three 20cm round cake tins. Add the grated ginger to the grated pear and push down with a wooden spoon to squeeze out as much juice as possible.
• Mix the flours, spices, baking powder and 1 tsp salt in a bowl. In a stand mixer, vigorously whisk the eggs and sugars for 3 mins until thick and frothy. Slowly pour in the oil in a steady stream. Turn the speed down, then add the flour mixture, 2 tbsp at a time, alternating with the yogurt, until incorporated. Mix in the grated pear (for no longer than 20 secs). Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 25-30 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out dry.
• For the caramel, heat the pear juice and perry in a pan until reduced to about 50ml. Add the sugar and butter and whisk to a smooth caramel, then add the cream and whisk again until smooth. Add sea salt to your taste - I'd go for a generous pinch, so that the caramel is still fruity and sharp but has a little saltiness to it - then allow to cool slightly to just warmer than room temperature.
• To make the buttercream, put the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl over a pan of boiling water, then whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is no longer gritty. Put the bowl in the mixer, then whisk until soft peaks form and the bowl returns to room temperature. Switch to the paddle attachment, then add the butter, one spoonful at a time. Add the tahini, vanilla and a pinch of salt, and beat to a light, fluffy icing.
• Place the bottom layer of sponge on a platter or cake stand, then top with a layer of the buttercream and scatter over a third of the chopped pear. Repeat with the next two layers. To ice the cake, do an intial layer all over, chill in the fridge for 20 mins, then use the remaining icing to cover everything. Use a stepped spatula to spread it out evenly. Pour the caramel over the top of the cake, and allow it to drip down the sides. Scatter with toasted buckwheat, dehydrated pear and rosemary, if you like.

CARMELIZED UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR TART

Steps:

• Peel and halve pears, the core (preferably with a melon-ball cutter). Heat butter in a 9- to 10-inch well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then stir in sugar (sugar will not be dissolved). Arrange pears, cut sides up, in skillet with wide parts at rim of skillet. Sprinkle pears with cinnamon and cook, undisturbed, until sugar turns a deep golden caramel. (This can take as little as 10 minutes or as much as 25, depending on pears, skillets, and stove.) Cool pears completely in skillet.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round and trim to a 9 1/2- to 10 1/2-inch round. Arrange pastry over caramelized pears, tucking edge around pears inside rim of skillet. Bake tart until pastry is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cook on rack 5 minutes.
• Invert a rimmed serving plate (slightly larger than skillet) over skillet and, using pot holders to hold skillet and plate tightly together, invert tart onto plate. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.

SANDRA'S CARAMEL PEAR UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Melt butter and combine with sugar and corn syrup in the bottom of 2 round cake pans.
• Arrange fresh or canned pears pieces on top. (Peel and core, if fresh).
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Beat butter with eggs and wet ingredients in a large measuring cup or small bowl.
• In a larger bowl, mix dry ingredients, then add butter mixture to it, combining well.
• Pour into pans over the pear mixture.
• Bake for about 30-40 minutes.
• Loosen and invert over a serving plate; dust with confectioners sugar, if desired.

CARAMEL PEAR AND MACADAMIA UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 Degrees Celsius Grease a round 20cm cake pan and line base with non-stick baking paper.
• Melt 20g butter in frying pan and heat until foaming. Add pears cut side down and cook 2 minutes eahc side until golden brown.
• Arrange pear over base of cake pan.
• Melt 25g remaining butter until foaming. Add 1/2 cup sugar stirring for 1 minute.
• Add cream and water and cook for 2 minutes until mixture thickens.
• Remove from heat and pour half the caramel sauce over the pears.
• Sprinkle pears with nuts.
• Using electric beater, beat ground ginger, remaining butter and remaining sugar in medium bowl.
• Add eggs 1 at a time combining well after each addition.
• Use a wooden spoon to stir in the flours, almond meal and sour cream until just combined.
• Spoon mixture over pears and smooth the surface.
• Bake in oven 1 1/2 hours until skewer inserted comes out clean.
• Remove from oven set aside 5 minutes before inverting onto a plate.
• Drizzle cake with reserved caramel sauce and serve warm with vanilla ice-cream or cream.