Spiced Pear Upside-Down Cake
A sophisticated upside-down cake featuring tender Bosc pears in a pomegranate molasses syrup, complemented by cardamom-spiced walnut cake batter and finished with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
Ingredients
- •2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- •1½ cups all-purpose flour
- •3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- •¼ cup pomegranate molasses
- •1¾ cups sugar
- •4 whole Bosc pears
- •1 cup unsalted roasted walnuts
- •1½ teaspoons baking powder
- •½ teaspoon baking soda
- •½ teaspoon kosher salt
- •¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- •4 whole large eggs
- •1 teaspoon orange zest
- •1 cup olive oil
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 10"-diameter cake pan and line bottom with a parchment paper round; flour sides of pan. Cook orange juice, 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses, 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Add pears, cut side up, and cook (undisturbed) until they begin to release their juices, about 3 minutes. Turn pears over and cook just until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly, then arrange pears, cut side down, in prepared pan.
10 min
- 2.
Return skillet to medium heat and cook liquid in skillet until thickened and syrupy, about 5 minutes, depending on juiciness of pears. Pour syrup over pears and freeze while you prepare the batter (this is to allow syrup to set up-don't let it freeze solid).
5 min
- 3.
Pulse walnuts and remaining 1 1/2 cups flour in food processor until walnuts are finely ground. Pulse in baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.
5 min
- 4.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs, orange zest, and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar in a medium bowl until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Fold in dry ingredients in 2 additions, fully incorporating before adding the next addition, then gradually mix in oil. Pour batter over pears and smooth top.
10 min
- 5.
Set pan on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake cake until top is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in pan, 15-20 minutes. Run knife around edges of cake to loosen and invert onto rack. Remove parchment and let cake cool completely.
60 min
- 6.
Drizzle cake with more pomegranate molasses just before serving.
2 min
- 7.
Cake can be baked 1 day ahead. Store tightly covered at room temperature.
