Golden Pear Cake

I love recipes using in season produce. I found this cake recipe in the Traditional Home magazine. Not only was it simple to make, and an elegant dessert, our family thought it was absolutely delicious! If you have a few pears languishing in the back of the fridge. Give it a try! It may even work with canned pears, if you have no other option!

This cake is similar to an upside-down pineapple cake. The recipe is begun in a cast-iron or oven-proof skillet, then finished in the oven. Upon completion, the cake is inverted to a serving platter. I enjoyed using my favorite Griswold cast-iron skillet that came from Ed's grandmother. This pan sees daily use in my kitchen. I love that it is a family heirloom that we can use without diminishing it's value. (Unlike the Hitchcock dining room chairs, which came from Ed's other grandmother, which may not survive our children!)

If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, just make the brown sugar-butter mixture in a sauce pan, pour into a 9-inch round cake pan, and proceed with the recipe.

Golden Pear Cake

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Melt butter in 9-inch cast-iron or oven proof skillet. Stir in brown sugar. Cook and stir until sugar is melted and bubbly. Cool.

3 or 4 pears, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced

Arrange pear slices in skillet.

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk

Beat butter and sugar until combined. Beat in vanilla and eggs. Stir in dry ingredients with milk until just combined. Spoon batter over pears.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.
Loosen cake from pan. Invert onto serving plate.
Enjoy warm or cold!