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Perfect Caramel Pear Upside-Down Cake

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A moist and buttery upside-down cake featuring caramelized pears with a rich, salted caramel topping. Perfect for special gatherings and easy to make with pantry staples.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3–4 ripe Bosc or Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch thick wedges
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (160g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (115g)
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed (150g)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk (120ml) or whole milk with 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (let sit 5 minutes)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with butter and set aside.
  2. Make the caramel pear topping: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add granulated sugar and stir gently until it dissolves and turns a golden amber color (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and flaky sea salt.
  3. Pour the caramel evenly into the bottom of the prepared skillet. Arrange pear slices over the caramel in a circular pattern, slightly overlapping.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  5. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and brown sugar until creamy and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add honey and vanilla extract, mixing well.
  6. Beat in eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
  7. Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix gently until smooth; do not overmix.
  8. Pour batter evenly over pears in the skillet and spread gently with a spatula.
  9. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Tent with foil after 30 minutes if browning too quickly.
  10. Remove skillet from oven and cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.
  11. Run a thin knife around edges to loosen cake. Place a large plate over skillet and carefully invert to release cake.
  12. Let cake cool another 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Use ripe but firm Bosc or Anjou pears for best texture. If you don’t have buttermilk, substitute with whole milk plus lemon juice. Tent cake with foil if browning too fast. Let cake rest before flipping to avoid caramel drips. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend and ensure baking powder is gluten-free. Dairy-free options include dairy-free butter and almond milk with apple cider vinegar.

Nutrition

Keywords: caramel pear cake, upside-down cake, pear dessert, caramel dessert, easy cake recipe, holiday dessert, special occasion cake

Find it online: https://spoonette.com/perfect-caramel-pear-upside-down-cake-recipe-easy-for-special-gatherings/