Dwelling baking just isn’t very fashionable in India and, as with most Indian kitchens, ours didn’t have a built-in oven. Most residence cooking is completed on the hob, and in eating places, the oven of alternative is the tandoor. My first reminiscences of baking are of Mum utilizing our very primary tabletop oven (which she nonetheless makes use of) to make birthday truffles for my two sisters and me. As I grew older, I’d bake truffles myself for buddies and my many cousins—we had a big prolonged household and there was at all times loads of nice meals at household gatherings, celebrations and festivals.
We recurrently visited native bakeries for treats reminiscent of cream rolls, pineapple cake, rum balls, doughnuts, and pattice (savory puff pastry snacks)—simply considering of those transports me residence. Every time I return to India, I make a degree of visiting the outdated bakeries to relive these great moments from my childhood. The retailers nonetheless make the identical bakes, even in spite of everything these years.—Chetna Makan
Pear and Cardamom Caramel Upside-Down Cake FAQs
In a cake like this, the form of the fruit is seen within the completed product so that you’ll need to use a pear that’s agency sufficient to remain, properly…pear-shaped. Bosc pears are the best choice on this recipe however Concorde and Anjou (French butter pears) may also work fairly properly.
The cake will maintain in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days. If you wish to freeze your leftovers, wrap tightly and freeze it for as much as 3 months. Thaw on the counter, then unwrap. Wrapping and freezing does imply that you simply may lose a bit of that caramel topping although, so remember earlier than you do it.
For this recipe, we’ve already achieved the mathematics for you. Merely mix 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Make sure that to combine collectively completely and use as directed.
Forestall your display screen from going darkish
Make the cardamom caramel
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan.
-
In a medium saucepan over medium-low warmth, gently heat the butter, sugar, and floor cardamom till the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted, about 3 minutes. Cook dinner for two minutes extra, stirring typically.
-
Pour this sauce rigorously into the ready pan and unfold it evenly over the bottom. Place the halved pears on high of the sauce with the reduce sides dealing with down.
☞ TESTER TIP: Relying on the form and dimension of your pears, you could not be capable of match all of the pear halves into the pan. Benefit from the leftovers as a snack.
Make the upside-down cake
-
In a big bowl, mix the sugar, butter, flour, almonds, baking powder, eggs, and orange zest. Use an or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat till gentle and creamy, about 2 minutes.
-
Fastidiously spoon the cake combination over the pears, taking care to not disturb them. Bake till a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clear, 50 to 65 minutes.
-
Let cool within the pan for 10 minutes, then rigorously end up onto a wire rack. Get pleasure from heat or chilly.
Serving: 1 servingEnergy: 361 kcalCarbohydrates: 40 gProtein: 5 gFats: 21 gSaturated Fats: 12 gMonounsaturated Fats: 5 gTrans Fats: 1 gLdl cholesterol: 108 mgSodium: 30 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 27 g
Diet info is robotically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
Recipe © 2021 Chetna Makan. Picture © 2021 Nassima Rothacker. All rights reserved.
Recipe Testers’ Critiques
This lovely pear and cardamom caramel upside-down cake delivered on each style and texture. Completely cooked pears nestled on high of a chewy crust and a custardy middle, with robust notes of orange and a contact of cardamom this makes for a formidable dessert.
I purchased 4 Bartlett pears two days upfront to offer them the chance to ripen earlier than baking. I match 3 1/2 pears (with some cautious trimming) right into a circle. After 10 minutes out of the oven and working a knife across the edges, I flipped the cake the other way up and it slid simply out of the pan.
Served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, this is able to be an amazing dessert for the vacations.
I used to be so excited to do that recipe for pear and cardamom caramel upside-down cake as a result of it’s pear season and cardamom is my favourite spice! The brightness of the recent pear and the heat of the cardamom have been great collectively.
The cake had extra of a moist crumb than I’m used to in an upside-down cake and I grew fairly keen on it with every chew. I actually loved the trace of orange as properly. Protecting the pears in halves was my favourite half. Taking a chew of the cake with a giant slice of pear was so satisfying. This can be a lovely and distinctive cake that I’ll positively make for particular events!
This pear and cardamom caramel upside-down cake is a superb autumnal dessert that isn’t too presumptuous. This cake can stand alone or pair properly with a sea-salted caramel drizzle. The nice and cozy cardamom-dressed pears sit on high of a ravishing orange zest sponge cake filled with moisture and taste.
