Pear Upside-down Spice Cake
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Upside-down small cakes with pear slices, spiced caramel sauce. Tender crumb with warm notes from cinnamon and ginger. Pears poach subtly in caramel, sugars bubble enticingly, coating fruit. Oven heat melds textures; cake rises unevenly—edges darker, center soft. A twist of star anise replaces vanilla for subtle aroma. Brown sugar swapped for coconut sugar for earthy depth. Uses olive oil instead of butter; cake stays moist, less dense. Cinnamon and ginger increased; adds complexity. Easy tweaks for flavor and texture depending on fruit ripeness and kitchen humidity.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
65 min
Total:
90 min
Servings:
8 small portions
#French-inspired
#spiced cake
#caramel dessert
#olive oil baking
#pear recipes
Pears swimming in bubbling caramel. Crackling sugar hitting hot pan, aromas twist of star anise lifting the room. Played with this one over years, switching fats, sugars, layering gentle spice. Each bake shifting flavors and crumb textures. This version feels balanced—soft but structured cake. The sugar swap gives earthier, less aggressive sweetness; olive oil keeps cake moist and gives slight fruitiness. Pears soak and poach, their edges gleaming in sticky spice caramel. Turns out easiest to work in individual dishes, prevents mess; caramel can burn quickly in big pan. Learned to trust my nose, the bubble sounds, the golden edges before trusting clock completely. Tactile checks more reliable around here. This version feels homey, grown-up warm with that spice hit but still sweet enough for end-of-meal comfort. Warming spice invited me to kick cinnamon and ginger up a notch, subtle star anise rounds corners for generosity, not sharpness.
Ingredients
- 5 firm pears medium size peeled cored halved
- 150 grams coconut sugar packed
- 80 milliliters extra virgin olive oil
- 180 grams all purpose flour sifted
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 120 milliliters buttermilk or plain yogurt as substitute
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon heaping
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon star anise ground mix into caramel
- Juice half lemon
About the ingredients
Coconut sugar swaps brown sugar for a deeper caramel flavor and slightly less processed option; bring dark rich note. If unavailable, use dark brown sugar but reduce baking powder by ¼ teaspoon to balance acidity. Olive oil chosen over butter to keep crumb less dense and moister at room temp—ideal if making ahead. Butter gives different mouthfeel and firmer slice. Pears ripe but firm preferred for texture, softer pears risk melting completely. Star anise rather than vanilla extract inject subtle licorice aroma elevating caramel beyond standard. But if dislike or no star anise use vanilla bean scraped or vanilla extract but add it to batter, not caramel to avoid bitter burnt notes. Buttermilk brings acidity, react to leaveners for better rise; yogurt works as substitute.
Method
- Preheat oven to 175°C fan forced or 350°F conventional. Butter individual ramekins well to avoid sticking. In my experience, oil slick can cause caramel slip. Protect edges.
- Make the caramel. In heavy pan put coconut sugar, star anise, lemon juice and 60ml water. Medium heat; watch closely. Bubbles darken from pale amber to rich tawny in 5-7 minutes. Smell it. Watch for slightest burn smell; pull off heat quick before bitter starts. Caramel thickens and darkens fast. Pour evenly into ramekins bottom.
- Arrange pear halves skin side down on caramel. Fit them snug, crowd the pan. Pears will shrink; no gaps. Don’t crowd too much or steam forms, spoils caramel crunch.
- Mix dry: flour, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda, powder. Whisk lightly, aerate. Separate bowl: eggs, olive oil, buttermilk. Whisk vigorous to emulsify. Add sugar last bit by bit retaining some grainy crunch hints. Sugar texture matters for crumb.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet gently but thoroughly. Batter thick, lumpy but smooth. Overmix bleeds gluten—cake tough. Expect lumpy batter; it bakes out.
- Pour batter slowly over pears. Tap pan on bench to remove air bubbles; batter seeps into pear gaps. Smooth surface with palette knife.
- Bake 60-70 minutes. Edges brown, cake puffy, center springs back softly when poked. Test with skewer; moist crumbs cling but no raw batter. Oven temps vary; watch color more than timing.
- Remove carefully; wait 15 minutes loosely covered with tea towel. Too hot and caramel sticks to ramekins like glued.
- Invert each onto plate while still warm, caramel-pears facing up. A little shake nudges release. If stuck, run knife gently around edges. For safer release, run quick hot knife slice between cake and pan before flipping.
- Serve warm or room temperature. Texture is moist, tender, punctuated by chewy caramel bits. Pears soft but hold shape, lightly sticky and sweet with spice background. Can add dollop creme fraiche or whipped coconut cream to tame sweetness.
- Leftovers keep wrapped in fridge up to 2 days. Reheat gently in low oven or microwave 20 seconds to revive softness.
- Variations: swap star anise for cardamom whole pods; add chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch embedded in batter. Swap pears for apples or quince but adjust caramel time—harder fruit requires longer softening.
- Watch caramel like a hawk. Once burnt, no fix; start again. Using coconut sugar darkens both caramel and cake crumb; if you prefer golden tone, half brown sugar half coconut fine.
- Olive oil choice impacts aroma subtly—go fruity cold pressed. If butter preferred, melt and cool but risk heavier crumb.
Cooking tips
Caramel timing is critical; cook on medium heat, stirring gently only at start to dissolve sugar. When you see rapid bubble formation and a nutty scent, immediate color shifts from pale to golden amber—time to transfer to ramekins. Don’t leave unattended or caramel overcooks and burns. Pears must be arranged while caramel is warm—cold caramel solidifies fast, making scattering impossible. Batter—avoid overmixing flour and wet ingredients; a few flour pockets are fine. Dimpling through batter after pouring and tapping out bubbles ensure even baking. Ramekin choice affects baking time; wider shallow ramekins reduce cooking time because heat penetrates batter quicker. Watch visual cues: edges firm and pulling from sides, top with golden crust, center springs back gently. Cooling slightly before unmolding reduces sticking risks. Using tea towel reduces drafts and cracking top. Flip carefully and in one move so caramel stays pristine. If caramel is too cold and hardened reheating ramekin for 10 seconds in microwave loosens it quickly but jeopardizes structural integrity, best avoided.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Caramel timing is fragile. Listen for fast bubbling, darkening from pale to rich tawny. Smell nutty amber not burnt. Pull off heat exactly then. Burnt caramel ruins top layer; no fix. Use medium heat, no rush. Stir gently first minute only then let it bubble.
- 💡 Oiling ramekins, butter can slick out caramel; I avoid slippage with butter. Pears need firm but ripe. Too soft means melting into caramel puddle; firmness keeps shape. Arrange snug but not packed. Too crowded traps steam—kills crispy caramel layer.
- 💡 Sugar texture matters. Coconut sugar brings earthy notes but remains grainy. Add last in wet mix bit by bit. Retaining slight crunch helps crumb texture. Avoid overmix; lumpy batter okay. Overbeating develops gluten, makes cake dense and tough.
- 💡 Fold dry into wet gently but thoroughly. Batter thick, lumpy but smooth. Overmixing bleeds gluten and toughens crumb. Expect lumps; bake out fine. Tap pan to remove air bubbles; batter seeps in between pear halves. Helps even bake, avoids gaps under fruit.
- 💡 Inverting cakes when warm critical. Caramel quickly cools and sticks tight. Gentle shake nudges release. If stuck run hot knife slice quickly between cake and pan edges. Microwave trick loosens but stresses structure—best avoided for fragile ramekin cakes.
Common questions
Why use star anise in caramel?
Adds subtle licorice aroma layered under caramel scent. Not sharp but rounds flavor. If no star anise, vanilla bean scraped works. Extract better in batter not caramel or bitterness burns.
Can coconut sugar be swapped?
Dark brown sugar good substitute but caramel less deep. Adjust baking powder down by quarter teaspoon to balance acidity when swapping. Regular brown sugar softens crumb more than coconut sugar.
Cake sticks to ramekins often?
Butter alone slicks caramel out easy; oil ramekins well. Cool caramel partly before adding pears. Wait 15 minutes whole cake rest after baking before flipping. Hot caramel sticks worse; patience key. Hot knife run around edges before flipping helps release.
How to store leftovers?
Wrap tight in fridge up to 2 days. Reheat gentle, low oven or microwave short bursts 20 seconds. Avoid drying out; cake goes firmer with longer chill. Freezing risky for caramel texture, breaks sticky top.
