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    Home » Recipes » Desserts (Baked) » Caramelized Pear Upside Down Cake

    LAST UPDATED: November 4, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: October 17, 2017 By Toni Dash 49 Comments

    Caramelized Pear Upside Down Cake

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Rustic Caramelized Pear Upside Down Cake is a wonderful dessert for autumn. Light, nutty cake topped with saucy pears in a buttery brown sugar sauce makes any fall meal an occaision. Gluten-free or with gluten options.

    Caramelized Pear Upide Down Cake on a glass etched platter with black and white striped cloth napkin

    Pear season has arrived and with it unlimited options of how to enjoy them in addition to eating them whole.

    Caramelized Pear Upside Down Cake is an easy dessert that will ‘wow’ for the beautiful pattern on the top of the cake once turned out onto a serving platter.

    It is a homey recipe with familiar spices of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg with some almond flour giving a slightly nutty flavor.

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    I originally made this recipe and shared it in 2011 after making a Plum Upside Down Cake my family and friends loved.

    There is something so fun about a cake top lined with beautiful seasonal fruit. Caramelized Pear Upside Down Cake layers the sliced pears in a buttery brown sugar mixture giving them a soft, wonderful texture in addition to the caramel flavors.

    The simple cake is a perfect compliment to the pears and very easy to make. It can be made gluten-free or with gluten based on the all purpose flour used.

    Freshly baked Caramelized Pear Upside Down Cake on a clear etched glass cake platter

    The natural sweetness of pears and their appealing shape make them a perfect choice for fall fruit tarts.

    I personally love tiny Seckel pears which can be eaten in just a few bites. Seckel Pear Soft Shelled Creme Tart is another delicious (and easy) way to celebrate autumn’s bounty, without needing to be a pastry chef.

    Single slice of Caramelized Pear Upside Down Cake

    Pears are wonderful in everything from salads to cocktails, with homemade Spiced Pear Vodka being a wonderful gift too. For more ideas on how to use pears you can check out Pear Perfection: 12 Gluten-Free Recipes!

    More Recipes You’ll Love!

    • Baked Pears
    • French Onion Soup
    • Caramelized Roasted Pumpkin
    • Maple Pumpkin Butter Vinaigrette

    Did you make it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    Recipe

    pear upside down cake sq

    Caramelized Pear Upside Down Cake

    This seasonal upside down cake is rustic and delicious. The beautiful pear pattern when the cake is turned out of the pan is always an eye catching delight!
    5 from 22 votes
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 295kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
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    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
    • 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
    • 2 tablespoons Water
    • 2-3 medium-large Pears (like Red Bartlett) peeled, cored and sliced vertically into 1/8-1/4 inch thick slices
    • 1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend
    • 1/4 cup Almond meal or Almond Flour
    • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground Ginger
    • 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
    • 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter softened
    • 2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
    • 2/3 cup Whole Milk
    • 2 Eggs
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
    • Add 3 tablespoons butter into a 9 inch by 2 inch round layer cake pan and place in the oven to melt, approximately 3 minutes. Do not let butter brown.
    • Remove pan from oven. Add brown sugar and water; whisk until sugar is dissolved and butter is incorporated. 
    • Layer pear slices overlapped each other, with the larger end of the pear toward the outside of the pan (refer to photos). Form a circular pattern allowing the pears to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl of a free standing mixer, whisk together the flour, almond meal/flour, baking powder, salt and spices
    • In the bowl of a standing mixer (or using a handheld mixer) cream the butter. Add the sugar and cream together.  Add milk, eggs and vanilla and mix together (do not over mix). 
    • Spoon in dry ingredients and beat until fully combined.  Spoon batter evenly on top of pears in the cake pan. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes when toothpick should come out clean and the cake should begin to brown.
    • Allow cake to cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of the cake pan to free up cake. Place the serving plate upside down on the top of the cake pan, carefully turn the plate and cake over so the cake comes out onto the serving tray revealing the pear top. Be careful as the cake pan will still be hot.  NOTE:  if allowed to over cool in the pan the cake will not release fully.  Allow to cool for 30-45 additional minutes; serve warm.

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    Nutrition

    Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 460IU | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!

    This delicious recipe was originally published in November 2011 and has been updated in 2017.

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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nancy says

      September 30, 2019 at 9:41 am

      5 stars
      We loved how this turned out! The spices in the cake are perfect!

      Reply
    2. Ruth I says

      September 28, 2019 at 5:42 am

      I like the idea of having it upside down. It makes it more appetizing I suppose. This is absolutely lovely!

      Reply
    3. Catalina says

      September 28, 2019 at 12:43 am

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness! I only can imagine the flavor of this cake! I love pear desserts!

      Reply
    4. Sherry says

      September 27, 2019 at 9:23 pm

      My husband is a big pear eater. He is sure to love this cake. The apple orchard we are going to this weekend also has pick your own pears so this is perfect timing.

      Reply
    5. Celebrate Woman Today says

      September 27, 2019 at 8:29 pm

      I love pears in this amazing bake. What a delicious and unique idea for Celebration!

      Reply
    6. Tania says

      September 27, 2019 at 7:53 pm

      5 stars
      This really is a “wow” recipe! It’s both beautiful and delicious!

      Reply
    7. Heather says

      September 27, 2019 at 6:56 pm

      It’s not often that I have a dessert with pear in it, but it’s actually one of my favorite fruits. I’ll have to give this a try.

      Reply
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    About Toni Dash

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    Welcome! I’m Toni. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and my goal is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER with delicious, well-tested recipes and travel tips! More About Me …

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