Goodbye Summer! It’s the first week of Fall 2019 and here I am with a treat for you guys, a Pear Upside-Down Cake !!

Although it is officially the Fall season, the weather doesn’t seem to be ready yet to let go of summer. It’s still pretty hot outside and the leaves are all green. But nevertheless, I am kick starting my fall baking with this delicious pear cake.

Pear is one of my absolute favorite fall fruits and I love baking with it. Last year I did a Pear Loaf Cake which became a hit among my family and friends, and so this time I thought to tweak the recipe and try out a Pear Upside-Down Cake. It came out really well; the soft textured cake topped with cooked pear in a caramelized crust… a heavenly combination of fruit & cake which takes the flavors to a whole new level!  Cooked pear is nothing like the raw fruit, its aroma in itself is satisfying and the sweetness is perfectly balanced and toned down, even if you use ripe pears. But if you are a cake lover with a very sweet tooth, bump it up by adding an extra ¼ cup of granulated sugar along with the other dry ingredients.

This recipe calls for buttermilk and it was during my bake that I realized I did not have it in my pantry, so had to quickly prepare a homemade batch instead of my usual store bought one. In case you are interested in the recipe, here it is below:

Quick fix Homemade Buttermilk recipe instructions (½cup)

• Whisk 4 tbsp milk and 2 tbsp plain yogurt together in a bowl and allow it sit for 5-10 minutes. Your homemade buttermilk is ready.

Pro-tip: Since this is an upside-down cake, the base of the final dish will be the upper layer of the cake when coming out of the oven, which later would go to the bottom once inverted. As the cake rises in the oven, the top layer may not be flat creating an uneven surface once inverted and so the cake will not sit straight and may break apart and collapse. So, you will have to level off the top by trimming the bulges with a knife.

Enjoy this delicious cake along with a cup of tea or coffee, Happy Baking…!

Interested in another pear cake recipe? Then don’t forget to check out my Pear Loaf Cake recipe.

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Pear Upside-Down Cake

Pear Upside-Down Cake…Loaded with the Goodness of Pear in a Caramelized Crust, the Perfect Tea Time Cake…!!!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword pear cake, pear upside-down cake, upside down cake

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 2 pears (Bosc or Anjou pear)
• ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)+ 3 tbsp (cubed, cold butter)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1¾ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup buttermilk

Instructions

• Peel the pears carefully to remove the skin and slice into halves lengthwise along their stem. Scoop out the core and cut the stems.
• Preheat oven to 350-degree Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper extending it 2 inches above the rim through its sides. Brush with melted butter and keep aside.
• Into the pan, add brown sugar, cubed butter and place it in the oven for 5 minutes to allow the butter to melt. Remove from the oven and arrange the pear halves crosswise in the pan alternating their narrow ends with their cored side facing down flat. Keep it aside.
• Prepare dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition, and continue beating. Add vanilla extract.
• Gradually add flour mix alternating with buttermilk, beating just until combined after each addition. Batter will be very thick.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow it to cool for 30-45 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan for the cake to loosen. Lift the parchment paper to take the cake out of the pan onto a flat surface.
• Before inverting the cake, ensure its top surface is flat otherwise it will not sit straight and may break apart and collapse. Level off the top by trimming of the bulges with a knife. Place a serving plate inverted on the top surface, and quickly n carefully invert the cake onto it.
• Remove the parchment paper and slice the cake through the pears and serve, Enjoy!

The post Pear Upside-Down Cake appeared first on Pepper Delight.

I chose to try out this recipe purely for its fruity flavors. Its rich in pineapple, banana, coconut, and crunchy toasted pecans, spiced with cinnamon and all spice, topped with a delicious whipped cream cheese frosting… Voila! the Best Comfort Cupcake you can dream off…

So, why the name? This cake has its origins from Jamaica, and is considered to be sweet as the nectar hummingbirds hunt for, which happens to be the national bird as well and reminiscent to the tropical flavors of the Caribbean Island. Did you know? This cake is also known as Doctor Bird Cake, a nickname for the red-billed streamer tail which belongs to the hummingbird family.

The recipe gives you incredibly warm, rich, moist and soft cupcakes, with a sticky crust from the caramelized sugars in the fruits, and tastes amazingly good. If you are a fan of banana cake, then I am sure you’re gonna love this one. It’s also a party favorite which is why is popular as the “cake that doesn’t last”.

I know my piping skills have not been top notch for the recipe photos. I was in a hurry to pipe it, but make sure you refrigerate the cream cheese frosting for 15 minutes at least before piping.

Pro tip: Use overripe banana and pineapple (with juices) for more flavor!!!

Happy Baking…!

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Hummingbird Cupcakes

A Spiced Cake filled with the flavors of Banana, Pineapple, Coconut and Pecans… The “Cake that doesn’t Last”! A Southern Classic, and it’s a Hummingbird Cupcakes...!!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cakes, cupcakes, hummingbird cake

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 16 cupcakes

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 1½ cup flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp all spice
• ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 2 eggs (at room temperature)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup canned crushed pineapple along with juices
• 2 bananas (mashed)
• ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
• ½ cup pecans/walnuts (toasted & chopped)

For the cream cheese frosting

• 1 package 8oz. cream cheese (softened)
• 5 tbsp butter (at room temperature)
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp milk (optional)

Instructions

For the cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Spread pecans onto a separate baking pan and toast in the oven for 4 - 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Chop them into fine pieces. Keep aside.
• Prepare dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking salt, salt, ground cinnamon and all spice in a large bowl. Keep aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar and beat until combined.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by adding vanilla extract.
• Add the dry ingredients in two batches and beat until they combine well.
• In the meantime, mix mashed bananas, pineapple and shredded coconut in a small bowl. Whisk well to mix properly.
• Add this mix to the flour mix and beat in low speed to combine well. Remove the paddle attachment and add chopped pecans and fold well by using a spatula. The batter will be thick.
• Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them a little over half way full.
• 1Bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the crust turns golden brown.

For the cream cheese frosting

• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate it for
  15 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and decorate as desired.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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