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Home ยป Desserts and Sweet Treats ยป Pear & Vanilla Upside Down Cake

Pear & Vanilla Upside Down Cake

Published: Mar 30, 2011 ยท Updated: Aug 28, 2020 ยท This post may contain affiliate links.

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Pear Vanilla Upside Down Cake
Pear Vanilla Upside Down Cake
Pear Vanilla Upside Down Cake
Pear Vanilla Upside Down Cake
Pear Vanilla Upside Down Cake
Pear Vanilla Upside Down Cake

Pear Vanilla Upside Down Cake

We have an abundance of pears at the moment, and I wanted to put them to good use.  This pear and vanilla upside down cake was a wonderful way showcase how delicious pears can be.  So delicious in fact that even my non pear loving boyfriend loved the cake and asked for more.   I think I may have converted him!  Which is a good thing as we still have quite a few pears left, which I already have plans for.

Another wonderful benefit of this recipe, other than it’s deliciousness, is that poaching the pears for the topping fills your house with an absolutely deliciously intoxicating aroma.  Pears and fresh vanilla – what could be better than that?Pear Vanilla Upside Down Cake

For this cake I’d recommend using pears that will hold their shape, such as Williams or Packham, during poaching and cooking.  Just make sure the pears are ripe, but not overly so.

So tell me, have you been able to convert someone to enjoying a fruit they didn’t like through your baking?

Pear Vanilla Upside Down Cake

Pear and Vanilla Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:

Topping

  • 3/4 cup of raw caster sugar
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) of water
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1 vanilla bean, split
  • 2 pears, peeled and cored and cut into eighths

Cake

  • 4 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup of raw caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1/2 cup of olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup of self raising flour
  • 1 cup of almond meal

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius (320 Fahrenheit).
  2. Heat a large ovenproof non stick frying pan, over a medium heat.  Add the water and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
  3. Add the vanilla bean, pears and lemon juice and cook for 15 minutes, or until the pear is soft.  Remove from the heat and set aside while you make the cake base.
  4. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and thick and about 3 times it’s original volume.
  5. Switch the mixer to it’s lowest speed and sift in the self raising flour and fold through before adding the almond meal, oil and lemon juice.
  6. Pour the cake mixture on top of the poached pears and bake for 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out cleanly.
  7. To serve turn out onto a cake platter and serve as is or with some freshly whipped cream.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Soma says

    April 01, 2011 at 9:43 am

    I adore cakes with fruits – much better than any other cakes. I have done apple and pineapple upside downs, never pear. Looks so beautiful I shld make one soon,

    Reply
    • delicieux says

      April 01, 2011 at 9:54 am

      Thank you Soma ๐Ÿ˜€

      Reply
  2. Susi says

    March 31, 2011 at 6:29 am

    What a gorgeous cake and wonderful combination. I love this twist on an old classic. Looks incredibly elegant!
    My recent post Asian Inspired Cucumber Salad

    Reply
  3. mollyparr says

    March 31, 2011 at 3:01 am

    I was at a dinner party a few months ago, and they served a similar cake, but with apples. I love this combination of pear and vanilla. Can't wait to try it out once we have some good pears.

    Reply
  4. Ruby says

    March 30, 2011 at 8:43 pm

    Gorgeous! I've got a few under-ripe pears in the fruit bowl that might do well in this. And I'm thinking a rich, dark-chocolate sauce would not be unwelcome either… ๐Ÿ˜‰
    My recent post Blooming Champagne Cupcakes

    Reply
    • delicieux says

      March 31, 2011 at 7:32 am

      Hi Ruby ๐Ÿ˜€ A chocolate sauce would be lovely with is, although it really is nice as is. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  5. CC11 says

    March 30, 2011 at 3:50 pm

    Pear and vanilla are a perfect combo – your cake looks so moist and yummy

    Reply
    • delicieux says

      March 30, 2011 at 4:04 pm

      Thanks Chanel ๐Ÿ˜€

      Reply
  6. foodies at home says

    March 30, 2011 at 2:29 pm

    Oh thats a good question! Probably figs. My husband was never a fig person until I made simple roasted figs for a salad. This cake looks so moist! I think pears and vanilla is a great combination!
    My recent post Grandmas Classic Pot Roast

    Reply
  7. Dzenana says

    March 30, 2011 at 9:32 am

    Yum! Now I want to make one of these with the rest of the pears I've got lying around! It looks so moist and delicious!

    As for making somebody like a fruit they don't usually like…well, its never happened with fruit, but my best friend is renowned for changing her mind about food she hates after I make them! Everything from couscous to peanut butter with chocolate (how could she have ever thought she didn't like that flavour combinationt!?!)

    My recent post Red Wine Poached Baby Pears with Honey Orange Mascarpone

    Reply
  8. Stephanie says

    March 30, 2011 at 8:59 am

    This looks gorgeous! I'm jealous of your pear overload and excited to see what else you'll do with them.
    My recent post Slow Cooker Monday- Maple Apple Compote

    Reply
    • delicieux says

      March 30, 2011 at 10:04 am

      Thanks Stephanie. I'll show more pear recipes next week ๐Ÿ˜€

      Reply
  9. sandraleegarth says

    March 30, 2011 at 8:56 am

    Beautiful cake and not much luck in the convincing department. Maybe this could be the recipe that changes things!

    Reply
  10. Heidi says

    March 30, 2011 at 8:56 am

    Delicious! I love a good upside down cake. I get my man to eat quinces in cakes like these. If I poach them he doesn't love them but in a cake it's alllll good!
    Heidi xo
    My recent post My Foray into Footscray

    Reply
  11. Trudy~Veggienumnum says

    March 30, 2011 at 8:08 am

    Oh Yum!! I love how golden and moist this cake looks!! We made an upside down pear cake this weekend too, must be all the fresh ripe pears available this time of year ๐Ÿ™‚
    My recent post Soy &amp Szechuan Pepper Tofu w- Wasabi Pea Puree

    Reply
    • delicieux says

      March 30, 2011 at 8:10 am

      Thank you Trudy ๐Ÿ˜€ It's definitely pear season and I can't wait to make some more pear dishes. Are you going to post your upside down pear cake? Great minds must think alike ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
  12. Kayla says

    March 30, 2011 at 8:03 am

    Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! This is gorgeous. I love how the vanilla bean sticks out. It adds a rustic touch to the cake. Oh yes, fresh vanilla smells awesome! Hmm… now I craving for some pear dessert…
    My recent post Broiled Cinnamon-Maple Grapefruit

    Reply
    • delicieux says

      March 30, 2011 at 8:09 am

      Thanks for your kind words Kayla ๐Ÿ˜€ I love the rustic touch that the vanilla bean adds too. It's not a fussy cake, just plain delicious.

      Reply
  13. muppy says

    March 30, 2011 at 8:02 am

    This looks really delicious, I have some pears that I want to bake with so maybe I should try this.

    Reply
    • delicieux says

      March 30, 2011 at 8:08 am

      I may be biased, but I think it's delicious Muppy. ๐Ÿ™‚ I think it's best served slightly warm, to make the most of the flavours.

      Reply

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Nicole - vegetarian food bloggerNicole is a 25+ year vegetarian, and author of a vegan cookbook. She shares her recipes on Delicious Everyday, an award-winning vegetarian and vegan food blog.ย  About Nicole

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