Author Notes
My mother made the best gingerbread in the world using a recipe she got in 1939. I adapted it to this pear upside down cake and it is so good. If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, it can be made in a regular cake pan...it just won't have the wonderful crispy crust. —mleverette
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Ingredients
- Topping
-
4 tablespoons
butter
-
1/4 cup
dark brown sugar
-
4 tablespoons
molasses
-
1/2 cake
chopped toasted pecans
-
3
medium pears, peeled, cored and sliced
- Gingerbread
-
1/2 cup
granulated sugar
-
1/2 cup
butter
-
1
egg
-
1 cup
molasses
-
1 1/2 teaspoons
baking soda
-
1 teaspoon
ground ginger
-
1/2 teaspoon
ground cloves
-
1/2 teaspoon
salt
-
2 1/2 cups
all-purpose flour
-
1 cup
hot water
Directions
-
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter to begin the topping mixture. Stir in brown sugar, molasses and pecans. Evenly layer pears over the sugar mixture.
-
To make gingerbread, cream butter and sugar and add egg. Add molasses. Stir together dry ingredients and slowly add to molasses mixture. Add hot water and mix well. Pour batter on top of apples.
-
. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until gingerbread springs back lightly when pressed with a finger. Remove skillet from oven and invert onto a heatproof serving plate. Serve warm or cold. Very good with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
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