upside-down pear and ginger cake – does it look yum or what? |
A long-awaited
visit from old friends from America was all it took to make me try this latest find from the November issue
of Olive
– I have to add the words Comfort Food Special were writ
large on the cover and I thought to myself when I was reading it on the plane
back to Istanbul from London recently, ooh I’m going to love this!
visit from old friends from America was all it took to make me try this latest find from the November issue
of Olive
– I have to add the words Comfort Food Special were writ
large on the cover and I thought to myself when I was reading it on the plane
back to Istanbul from London recently, ooh I’m going to love this!
Well, dear
Reader, I did.
Reader, I did.
First of
all, the picture of this cake was a winner: there it was looking suitably moist
and sticky studded with the pear halves and walnuts. Now, both of these are right
in season here. I always have nuts in the house so all I had to do was go to my
guy over the road and buy some pears.
all, the picture of this cake was a winner: there it was looking suitably moist
and sticky studded with the pear halves and walnuts. Now, both of these are right
in season here. I always have nuts in the house so all I had to do was go to my
guy over the road and buy some pears.
A quick skim of the other ingredients was
all I needed to see that they were all right here on my shelves. I didn’t
have black treacle, fair enough, but I did have Golden Syrup – they actually
sell both here now – and as you can see,
that worked just perfectly. If you don’t have the light brown sugar as
specified and you live here in Turkey, I suggest you mix regular granulated
sugar with a little üzüm pekmezi or grape molasses, readily available here. The
brown sugar that you find in the supermarkets is demerara and is not a
substitute.
A quick skim of the other ingredients was
all I needed to see that they were all right here on my shelves. I didn’t
have black treacle, fair enough, but I did have Golden Syrup – they actually
sell both here now – and as you can see,
that worked just perfectly. If you don’t have the light brown sugar as
specified and you live here in Turkey, I suggest you mix regular granulated
sugar with a little üzüm pekmezi or grape molasses, readily available here. The
brown sugar that you find in the supermarkets is demerara and is not a
substitute.
If the idea
of a dark sticky cake full of spicy flavours appeals, read on!
of a dark sticky cake full of spicy flavours appeals, read on!
Upside-down Pear & Ginger Cake
Actually called ‘Grandpa Beard’s upside-down ginger cake’ in
Olive magazine
Olive magazine
Serves 10
Ingredients
125g/5oz plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon/toz tarçin
1 tsp ground ginger/ toz zencefil
¼ tsp grated nutmeg/rendelenmiş
küçük hindistan cevizi
küçük hindistan cevizi
A pinch ground cloves/toz
karanfil
karanfil
I medium egg
125g/5oz light brown sugar
90g/3oz black treacle (or Golden
Syrup)
Syrup)
125ml/4 ½ floz soured milk (I used a few drops lemon juice
added to fresh milk)
added to fresh milk)
50g/2oz butter, melted
TOPPING
50g/2oz butter
100g/4oz light brown sugar
400g/14oz tin pear halves, drained,
OR 3-4 fresh pears/armut, peeled, halved and cored with the help of a teaspoon,
then poached in water with 1-2 tbsp sugar and
some lemon peel. Mine took a good half hour as they were hard.
OR 3-4 fresh pears/armut, peeled, halved and cored with the help of a teaspoon,
then poached in water with 1-2 tbsp sugar and
some lemon peel. Mine took a good half hour as they were hard.
Walnut halves to decorate
Method
·
Heat
oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.
Heat
oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.
·
To
make the topping, gently melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the sugar and
stir for 1-2 mins. Smooth over the base of a 20cm cake tin with a removable
base, 7cm deep. I DIDN’T USE THIS KIND OF TIN AS I DIDN’T WANT TO RISK THE
MELTING SUGARY/BUTTERY BASE SEEPING OUT AND MAKING A MESS OF THE OVEN. THIS HAS
HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE! Arrange the pears on top, cut-side down with a few
walnuts around the outside.
To
make the topping, gently melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the sugar and
stir for 1-2 mins. Smooth over the base of a 20cm cake tin with a removable
base, 7cm deep. I DIDN’T USE THIS KIND OF TIN AS I DIDN’T WANT TO RISK THE
MELTING SUGARY/BUTTERY BASE SEEPING OUT AND MAKING A MESS OF THE OVEN. THIS HAS
HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE! Arrange the pears on top, cut-side down with a few
walnuts around the outside.
poaching the pears if you prefer not to use tinned |
here are the poached and drained pear halves arranged in the tin with the walnuts |
·
To
make the cake, sift the flour, bicarb and spices into a bowl, and add ¼ tsp of salt.
To
make the cake, sift the flour, bicarb and spices into a bowl, and add ¼ tsp of salt.
and here are the weighed and measured ingredients |
Blend in the egg, sugar, treacle, soured
milk and butter in a separate large bowl, and fold in the flour mixture. Beat
with a wooden spoon for 1 minute, and then pour the mixture over the fruit in
the tin. Put on a baking tray and bake for 40-50 minutes until a skewer
inserted into the centre comes out clean (try to skewer a patch with cake
rather than a pear!). Remove from the oven, run a knife around the edge and set
aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
milk and butter in a separate large bowl, and fold in the flour mixture. Beat
with a wooden spoon for 1 minute, and then pour the mixture over the fruit in
the tin. Put on a baking tray and bake for 40-50 minutes until a skewer
inserted into the centre comes out clean (try to skewer a patch with cake
rather than a pear!). Remove from the oven, run a knife around the edge and set
aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
·
To
serve, remove the collar if using the tin with the removable base, and invert
the cake onto a plate or cake stand. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Avoid
chilling at all costs! Serve with cream or ice cream. If you are somewhere
where you can get it, crème fraîche would go brilliantly.
To
serve, remove the collar if using the tin with the removable base, and invert
the cake onto a plate or cake stand. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Avoid
chilling at all costs! Serve with cream or ice cream. If you are somewhere
where you can get it, crème fraîche would go brilliantly.
Upside-down Pear and Ginger Cake |
Afiyet olsun!
If you like upside-down cakes, why don’t you try
this one with orange slices , sticky citrus? …..it’s also great!
this one with orange slices , sticky citrus? …..it’s also great!
my husband would be sooooo happy if i made this for him. he loves pears! thanks for the recipe!
This looks gorgeous, from start to finish! I get some of my best recipe ideas on airplanes 😉
Oh wow. That cake looks brilliant. So pretty and I am sure, totally delicious!
Well, thanks so much for your lovely comments :)! Try it and see …
Oh my goodness, that looks absolutely delicious!
This looks delicious….love pears. This recipe I have to try. Last week I made a pear crisp, because my neighbour has this pear tree and they gave us a whole bag or two full….otherwise their kids will be whipping them at each other in the backyard.
Great photo's…makes you want a slice.
Have a great time with your long awaited friends from the states….I'm sure they enjoyed this up-side down pear and ginger cake immensely. I'm happy you do your recipes in both measurements because those grams get me confused.:)