Description
Craving a cozy, showstopping dessert that fills your kitchen with warm fall aromas? This Spiced Pear Upside Down Cake is a stunning blend of caramelized pears, cinnamon-spiced cake, and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Perfect as a quick dessert idea, brunch centerpiece, or a warm sweet treat for chilly evenings. Whether you’re hunting for an easy recipe, comforting food ideas, or holiday dessert inspiration—this cake hits the mark with style and flavor. Its rich spices and glistening fruit topping make it a seasonal favorite and an effortless crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup whole milk
Instructions
1. In a saucepan, melt butter for the topping. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon, cook until bubbling. Pour into a greased 9-inch cake pan. Arrange pears over the mixture.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line sides of cake pan.
3. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
4. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy (3–4 minutes).
5. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla.
6. Add dry mixture in thirds, alternating with sour cream and milk. Mix until just combined.
7. Pour batter over pears and smooth the top with a spatula.
8. Bake 40–45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool in pan for 10–15 minutes. Run a knife along edges, invert onto a plate.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature. Optional: top with whipped cream or ice cream.
Notes
Use firm pears like Bosc or Anjou so they hold their shape while baking.
Let the cake cool for 10–15 minutes before inverting to ensure clean release and intact topping.
Avoid overmixing the batter to keep the cake tender and moist.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 26g
- Sodium: 190mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: quick dessert, pear cake, fall dessert, easy cake recipe, upside down cake, brunch ideas, fruit cake, holiday baking