Upside-down cakes are always popular; they’re fruity, moist and look pretty. This one, made with pear and blueberries, is no exception.
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Ingredients
- 200g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar 300g caster sugar
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 ripe but firm pears
- 200g unrefined caster sugar
- 3 large free-range eggs
- 100g ground almonds
- 100g self-raising flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 250g blueberries
- Double cream to serve
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Method
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/fan160ºC/gas 4. Butter a 23cm round cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Sprinkle the cake tin with the brown sugar.
- In a saucepan, mix together 500ml water, the caster sugar and lemon zest, then add the cinnamon stick. Place over a low heat. Meanwhile, peel and core the pears and slice into wedges. When the sugar has dissolved, add the pears to the pan and poach gently for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and lift out the pears with a slotted spoon. Place them in the base of the cake tin.
- In a bowl, beat the butter and unrefined sugar until light and fluffy, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the ground almonds, flour, salt and mixed spice, then the blueberries.
- Spoon the mix over the pears and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (except where it pierces a blueberry).
- Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Allow to cool a bit more before serving warm, with double cream.
Nutrition
- 413kcals Calories
- 24.7g (11.9g saturated) Fat
- 6.2g Protein
- 38.5g (34.5g sugars) Carbs
- 0.4g Salt
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Reviews
This is a superb cake. I made it exactly as written and it turned out perfect. Don’t be tempted to over-poach the pears and although I cut them into eighths I think chunkier wedges would have been even better. My only question now is what to do with the beautifully perfumed syrup left over from the poaching, other than the obvious, which is to use it in cocktails! I’m storing it (strained) in the fridge until I find inspiration.
Fantastic recipe. Works well with plums or apricots too – but no need to cook them first
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