With sweet pears and spicy gingerbread, this Pear Gingerbread Upside-Down Cake is aperfect holiday, or any day dessert. Serve it plain or with ice cream and caramel!
Core pear and cut into 10-12 wedges. Peeling isn't needed.
Melt butter in well-seasoned 8-inch cast iron skillet over moderate heat and cook until it stops foaming. Reduce heat to low, then sprinkle brown sugar over bottom of skillet. Cook, without stirring, for 3 minutes.
Arrange pears evenly over sugar and cook, undisturbed, another 2 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Make Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk together molasses and boiling water in another small bowl, maaking sure molasses is dissolved.
With an electric mixer, beat together butter, brown sugar, and egg in a large bowl. Beat for 2 minutes.
Alternate adding flour mixture and molasses to butter mixture in 2 batches each, mixing at low speed until smooth.
Gently pour batter over pear topping in skillet. Spread evenly without disturbing the pears. Bake until a tester comes out clean, 30-40 minutes. (40-50 if you double recipe).
Cool cake in skillet on a rack 5-10 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of skillet. Place a large plate over skillet and, using pot holders to hold skillet and plate tightly together, invert cake onto plate. Replace any pears that stick to skillet.
I am not a health professional and nutrition data is calculated programatically. Accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.