This maple upside pear cake is rich with pure maple syrup and caramelized pears. A dense, buttery crumb makes this a real treat.
We went away the weekend before last, to Essaouira, which is a bit south of Casablanca on the water. To get there you can either take the coastal road or go inland towards Marrakech; while in a previous life the longer more scenic coastal route probably would have been embarked upon with no questions, things are different now and even the most patient of 8+-month-olds tends to chafe at 10 hours in the car (I do too). So we logged the miles instead along tidy freeways that paralleled dusty fields before turning off into the desert. These smaller roads crossed through towns marked by an abundance of horse and donkey carts, piles of watermelon and other produce piled under rickety awnings by the side of the road, and deserted, half-completed construction sites that seemed as though they had been there for years (and perhaps they have been). The landscape was littered with argan trees and the related collectives touting their argan oil. We didn't stop this time, but maybe on the next trip.
Then: Essaouira, which truly is the windy city and not in a bad way, at least during that weekend in June. And blue -- the wooden boats it's known for were as blue as the sky, as blue as the sea. Bluer maybe. The medina was mellow and surprisingly fairly quiet, the beach clean and traversed by camels. We walked and ate lunch and went swimming in the late afternoon and it was a much-needed and appreciated respite.
Then home to cake. In particular, a maple pear upside down cake. This is one I've been holding back for months, since the holidays, actually, and now it's nearly July and I'm still thinking about it so I think it's time to share. It's a simple enough cake, good and buttery, and run through with maple syrup and topped with cinnamon-laced caramelized pears. Don't like pears? I think nectarines would do quite handily here, though you'll probably want to cook them a bit less lest they disintegrate.
Recipe
Maple Pear Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup plain whole-fat yogurt
Instructions
Make Pears
- In a cast iron skillet or frying pan, melt the butter, maple syrup, sugar, and cinnamon over medium heat. Add the pears, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20 mins on medium-low heat. Remove from heat and set aside.
Make Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper. Arrange the prepared pears in a circular pattern on top of the parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, and using an an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, maple syrup, and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in vanilla and mix thoroughly.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of yogurt and beat until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn out cake onto rack to cool completely.
Helen spiridakis says
So enjoyed this post....and the cake recipe. Each nicely put together.