Author Notes: What can I say? I love ginger almost as much as I love garlic. This recipe is a take on my mom’s rhubarb cake with some reworking to fit an upside-down cake. It’s delicious as a brunch cake – not necessarily sweet enough for an after dinner dessert, but definitely delicious. —pipsplate
Makes: 1 10-inch cake
Ingredients
Ginger Caramel Glaze
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1/2
cup sugar
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1/4
cup boiling water
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1
tablespoon fresh grated ginger
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1
tablespoon heavy cream
Apple Pear Upside-Down Cake
-
1
apple
-
1
pear
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1 1/2
cups sugar
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8
tablespoons butter (1 stick) room temperature
-
1
large egg
-
1
teaspoon vanilla
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1
cup buttermilk
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2
cups all purpose flour
-
1
teaspoon baking soda
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1
tablespoon ground ginger
Directions
Ginger Caramel Glaze
- In a small sauce pan, heat 1/2 cup sugar over medium low heat until melted and turning brown – about 15 minutes.
- Add 1/4 boiling hot water and stir furiously (sugar will bubble and fuss when you add this).
- Add 1 tablespoon ginger and 1 tablespoon cream. Whisk together and remove from heat. Pour into a 10″ oven-proof skillet.
Apple Pear Upside-Down Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Peel and core the apple and pear; cut each in half.
- Dice the first half of each apple and pear.
- With the remaining halves of the apple and pear, slice into thin strips. Place on top of the Ginger Caramel Glaze in the skillet. Fan them out to make a nice design. Start with the pears on the outside, not overlapping. Then place the apple slices in the inner circle.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- To the butter+sugar mixture, add the egg, vanilla, buttermilk, flour, soda, and ginger. Mix on low speed until just combined OR mix by hand. Do not overmix.
- Stir in diced apple and pear to the cake mix.
- Pour cake mixture over apples and pears in the caramel sauce.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Remove skillet from oven and let sit 5 minutes, then invert onto cake plate.