this Pear upside down cake An elegant yet simple Thanksgiving dessert with buttery caramel sauce. With a moist vanilla cake center and caramelized top, it will be the star of the evening.
Why You'll Love This Pear Upside-Down Cake
This pear upside-down cake is perfect if you're trying to cut back on sugar this holiday season without giving up all the homemade desserts.
- Freezer-friendly. Start the holiday baking frenzy and make cakes in advance.
- Great for the holidays. Something about spiced pears just screams Thanksgiving, but this dessert could easily make an appearance at a Christmas or New Year's dinner.
- No granulated sugars. This recipe uses two types of Splenda for sweetness without the sugar high that comes with granulated sugar.
- versatile Turn it into fluffy muffins, add tart cranberries or top a cake Whipped cream. You are in charge!
Recipe ingredients
Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves make all the difference in this tender pear upside down cake. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.
- Pears – They can be peeled or peeled.
For the caramel
- SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend – Use the calorie-free sweetener of your choice if the brand carries a blend like brown sugar.
- water- Don't swap it for milk as it won't caramelize the sweetness.
- butter- I prefer unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, skip the salt for the caramel.
- spices- You need cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
- salt- Avoid coarse sea salt as it is difficult to dissolve.
for the cake
- All-Purpose Flour – Do not use cake flour as it will not give the cake the structure it needs to hold the caramelized pears.
- Baking Powder- Check the expiry date before adding it.
- salt- Kosher salt is best.
- SPLENDA® Natural Sugar and Stevia Sweetener Blend – It's a sugar substitute, but coconut sugar is a good swap.
- egg- They must be at room temperature so they don't separate the batter.
- plain yogurt- Make sure it is unsweetened. It can be regular or Greek yogurt.
- Vanilla extract- It helps round out the flavors but you can leave it out.
- Canola oil- Feel free to use vegetable or corn oil instead.
What are the best pears for baking?
Bosk pears are best for baking because they hold up well against heat. This means they won't dissolve into the batter and you'll have nice chunks of pear sitting nicely on top of your cake as you cut into it. If you can't find Bosc pears, Anjou, Concorde, and French butter varieties also work.
How to Make a Pear Upside Down Cake
Homemade caramel pears stick together for an impressive, fruity, and holiday-packed upside-down cake. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card.
- Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 350F. Grease a 9″ round cake pan with cooking spray. Arrange pear slices on bottom of cake pan. Set it aside.
- Make the caramel. Combine caramel ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir for 4-5 minutes or until sauce thickens and Splenda is completely dissolved. Pour sauce over pears in cake pan.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Add flour, baking powder and salt to a small bowl. Mix well and keep aside.
- Prepare the wet ingredients. Combine Splenda, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth.
- Fold them. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, drizzling in the oil to help the batter come together.
- Bake it. Pour the batter over the caramel pears in the cake pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for 5-10 minutes.
- serve Remove cake from pan. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Tips and variations
Making muffins from this spiced pear upside-down cake recipe cuts down on cleanup for large gatherings because you don't need a serving plate.
- Use add-ins. Mixing 1/2-1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, pistachios or dried cranberries into the batter will give you more flavor and texture.
- More fruit. Swap out a pear for a sliced Royal Gala, Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apple for an easy change.
- Make the muffins. Grease a muffin tray with cooking spray. Arrange a pear in the bottom of each cavity as usual. Pour batter into each until 3/4 second is full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once out of the oven, wait 15 minutes before inverting the tray.
- cover up If the top and edges of the cake start to brown around the 30 minute mark, cover the cake pan with foil to prevent burning.
- Check the temperature. Sometimes ovens are not calibrated correctly and bake at a very different temperature than what you have set. Avoid this by sticking an oven thermometer on the oven rack while the cake is on. Adjust the temperature dial as needed until you are actually baking at 350F.
What to Serve with Upside Down Cake
This pear upside down cake is great on its own or topped with mine Homemade whipped cream. I have a scoop Espresso Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Also amazing with this one. For drink ideas, try mine Sweet Cream Iced Coffee or Iced chai tea latte. If you're hungry for a cocktail, go for mine Maple Old Fashioned, Spiced Mulled Wineor Holiday Spiked Eggnog.
Proper storage
The cake is actually even better the next day so make sure you have some time to rest it before your dinner party.
- Fridge: Keep it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can cover the cake pan tightly with foil. Keep away from strong-smelling foods to prevent odor transfer.
- Freezer: Wrap whole or cut in plastic wrap twice. Transfer it to a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for 30 minutes.
More fruit desserts to try
description
This tender pear upside-down cake recipe with homemade spiced caramel is a fancy-yet-easy dessert for the holidays.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare a 9″ round cake pan by spraying the bottom with cooking spray (you can also use butter).
- Arrange the pear slices on the bottom of the pan.
- In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend, water, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce begins to thicken and the sugar dissolves. About 4-5 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the pears. Care is being taken to ensure that the system does not become chaotic.
- For the cake: In a small bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add SPLENDA® Sugar and Stevia Sweetener Blend, eggs, yogurt and vanilla. Using a whisk, stir together until the mixture is smooth and lumps are removed.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, whisking the entire time.
- Finally add the oil to the bowl and stir until combined.
- Pour the cake batter over the pears and sugar sauce, again being careful not to disturb the arrangement.
- Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes or until it passes the “toothpick test”.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a wire cooling rack for 5-10 minutes.
- Place the serving platter on top of the cake pan, give a little prayer and then flip the cake over so that the caramelized pears are on top.
- Serve and enjoy!
nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (based on cutting 18 slices)
- Calories: 146
- Sugar: 9 grams
- Sodium: 25 mg
- Fat: 8 grams
- Saturated Fat: 1 gram
- Carbohydrates: 15 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Protein: 2 grams
- Cholesterol: 38 mg