Upside Down Pear Chocolate Cake Recipes

UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Butter a 9-inch round baking pan.
• To make the fruit topping, put the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan (one with a tight-fitting lid) and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then cover and cook for 2 minutes. (Covering in this way allows the steam to wash down the sides of pan, which will prevent any sugar crystals from forming.) Uncover the saucepan and continue to boil the sugar, gently and slowly swirling the pan as needed to cook the caramel evenly, until it becomes a dark amber color. Occasionally wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Carefully pour the caramel into the prepared pan and allow it to harden. The pan will be very hot from the sugar, so take care in moving it if you need to. Fan the pear slices on top of the caramel in a circle around the perimeter, filling in the center with the remaining slices.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• To make the cake, place the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat and melt, stirring occasionally. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Transfer the melted chocolate to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and add the sugar. Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake bounces back slightly when touched. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a plate, leaving the pan on top of the cake for 5 minutes before you remove it. Serve the cake warm, topped with a small dollop of Chantilly cream or a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
• Storage: Wrapped in plastic wrap, the cake will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.

PEAR CHOCOLATE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• For the pears:
• In a skillet, bring 1 cup of water and the brandy to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler, cut in half lengthwise and remove the core, the stem and the fibers that run down the center. Slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices and add to the simmering brandy mixture. (Add enough hot water to cover the pears, if necessary.) Poach for about 10 minutes, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature while you are preparing the batter.
• For the cake:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil the bottom of a 9 by 2-inch deep round pan and lay parchment paper over the bottom. Then brush a thin layer of canola oil on top of the parchment paper. Sift cake flour and cocoa powder together several times to aerate. In a separate heatproof bowl combine the eggs and sugar. Nest the bowl with the sugar and eggs in another larger bowl filled with about 2-inches hot water. Whisk together the eggs and sugar, being very careful not to splash any water into it. The idea here is to raise the temperature of the egg and sugar mixture to between 100 and 120 degrees F. Use a candy thermometer to test the temperature. Once the mixture is warmed, remove the bowl from the water bowl and use an electric beater to beat it until it is about triple in volume and is the consistency of soft whipped cream. Sift the 1/3 of the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl of beaten eggs and sugar, and fold together. Repeat for each remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture, folding together after each addition. Then, gently fold in the melted butter and vanilla.
• Drain the pear slices and arrange them in the bottom of the cake pan. Overlap them in a pattern of concentric circles. Pour batter over layer of pears, spreading evenly, but don't fill pan any more than within 1/2-inch of the top edge of the pan. Bang pan on countertop - 1 or 2 times only - to make sure the batter sinks down between the pears, but don't overdo it or you will undo all your hard work in aerating the batter! Bake in oven until the surface springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cake cool in pan 10 minute to allow set up, then using oven mitts, press a serving plate firmly on the top edges of the pan, and invert the cake onto the plate. Replace any pear slices that become dislodged. This cake can be served warm or at room temperature.

PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• 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 remaining pears in the prepared pan, stem ends toward center, rounded sides down, and 1/4-inch from the side. Chop reserved pear and use just enough to fill center.
• 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 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• 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 them. 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.
• 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.

UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 10-inch cake pan. Line the pan with parchment or waxed paper and lightly oil the paper.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Mix until thoroughly blended.
• Line the bottom of the cake pan with the pears in a circular design. Pour the batter on top of the pears. Bake for 55 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Place on a cooling rack and let stand for 10 minutes. With a butter knife, cut around the edge of the cake, loosening the sides. Invert the pan onto a plate. Using the handle of the knife, vigorously tap the top of the pan, even shaking it a bit, to loosen the cake. Leave the pan over the cake for 15 minutes. Remove the pan and let the cake cool completely.

PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Make the topping: Melt butter in the bottom of a 10 1/2-inch cast-iron skillet over low heat. Add brown sugar, stirring until dissolved. Swirl to coat the bottom; remove from heat, and cool. Cut pears into 1/4-inch-thick wedges, and arrange them in a circular pattern over the brown-sugar mixture to cover completely; set aside.
• Make the batter: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract; beat to combine. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating to combine.
• Alternating with the milk, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix, on low speed, just until the flour is incorporated.
• In a large bowl, beat reserved egg whites and the cream of tartar with a hand mixer until stiff but not dry. Using a rubber spatula, fold egg whites into the batter. Transfer to skillet. Using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly, being careful not to disturb the pears.
• Bake until well browned on top and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Run a knife around inside of pan, and immediately invert the cake onto a serving dish. Serve warm or at room temperature.