GLUTEN FREE UPSIDE DOWN PEAR GINGERBREAD CAKE

This cake was a delightful festive dessert.  If you love the flavors of gingerbread this is a cake for you.  It would be lovely for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas and your house will smell divine while it is baking.  Apples would work nicely here too. We have just come into pear harvest in our area so this was the perfect recipe to make.
The inspiration for this gingerbread cake came from the blog Dinner With Julie - you can find the original recipe here. This is a recipe that easily converts to gluten free.  I have made a few of Julie's recipes now and they never disappoint.  Thank you Julie, your recipe is a gluten free winner in this household!
Usually I always make my own gluten free flour blends for any baking.  This time, I decided to try Cloud 9 Cup for Cup All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Flour.  (we found it at Costco - no paid advertisement here...just sharing something new!)
It worked great in this recipe with a good "cake" texture and nice and moist too. (although it did not work so well for pancakes, but that could have been my own error with the dry to wet ingredient ratio - hence more experimenting with this flour down the road)
TOPPING:
2 Tblsp. butter
2 Tblsp. honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 ripe but firm pears -peeled, cored, quartered then slice into sections
GINGERBREAD:
1/4 cup butter - room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup dark molasses (I used organic black strap molasses)
1 Tblsp. fresh grated ginger
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Cloud 9 Gluten Free Flour (or your own blend)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup buttermilk (add a good splash of vinegar then top up with milk to make a 3/4 cup)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8 or 9 inch round pan or deep pie plate with oil.  For the topping add the butter, honey, brown sugar to a small sauce pan and melt stirring to combine on low heat.  Pour into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly.  Place the peeled sliced pears in a circular pattern on top of the melted sugar butter topping.
FOR THE CAKE:
Beat the butter, brown sugar in a medium bowl till well blended.  Add the egg, vanilla, ginger, molasses and beat thoroughly.  (it may look separated)
In a smaller bowl, sift the dry ingredients.  Add 1/2 to the molasses mixture stir by hand until just combined.  Add buttermilk, then remaining dry ingredients and stir again until just combined.  Pour over the pears.  It will be slightly thick so spread the batter evenly over the pears.

Bake for 40 minutes until the top is springy.  Let stand 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a plate to cool.  Serve with whipped cream...sooo yummy!

Ina Gawne
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10 comments on “GLUTEN FREE UPSIDE DOWN PEAR GINGERBREAD CAKE”

  1. Waw, I need this lovely Gf upside down pear cake in my life like yesterday! Waw!!!
    I think, I need to make it saturday when family is coming over! xxx

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October 10, 2016
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