Gingerbread Cake With Caramelized Pears Recipes

GINGERBREAD PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix the melted butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar in a 9-inch round cake pan.
• Slice pear halves in half lengthwise. Place a pecan in the center of each pear quarter. Place pears cut side down in the cake pan, arranging them like spokes radiating from the center of the pan. Sprinkle any remaining pecans around the pears.
• Prepare the cake mix according to package directions, and pour over the pears and pecans in the cake pan.
• Bake 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before turning out onto a serving dish.

UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in brown sugar. Spread over bottom of a greased 9-in. round baking pan. Arrange pears over top., For cake, mix milk and vinegar; let stand 5 minutes. In a large bowl, beat egg, brown sugar, molasses, melted butter and milk mixture until well blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, salt and cloves; gradually beat into molasses mixture. Spoon carefully over pears., Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream, if desired.

GINGERBREAD PEAR UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Use a 10-inch cast iron skillet, or according to Epicurious, you can use a 12-inch non-stick skillet if you wrap the handle in a double layer of foil.
• Peel pears and cut into quarters. Remove the core portion, and slice each quarter lengthwise into four slices.
• Heat the skillet to medium on the stove top and melt 1/4 cup butter. Cook butter until the foam on top of the butter starts to go away.
• Reduce heat to low, and sprinkle the 3/4 cup packed brown sugar onto the butter. Let the brown sugar sit in the butter, without stirring, for three minutes.
• Carefully lay the pears into a circle in the sugar mixture.
• Leave the pears in the skillet (don't stir), still over low heat, for a couple more minutes, then remove from heat.
• Time to make the cake batter! Beat the 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and egg in a large bowl.
• Boil the water, and stir in the corn syrup and molasses. Remove from heat.
• Sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt over the butter, egg, and sugar mixture, and mix on slow speed just until it begins to blend together.
• Slowly pour the molasses, corn syrup, and water mixture into the batter, while mixing on low speed, just until well blended.
• Pour the cake batter into the skillet, over all that pear and brown sugar goodness. The batter should be runny enough where it evens out naturally, but if it doesn't, just spread it out evenly.
• Place the skillet in your preheated (350 degrees) oven, and bake 40 to 50 minutes. Insert a toothpick (or actual cake tester if you're way cooler than me - I use a toothpick or, in especially desperate times, a raw spaghetti noodle, what can I say) into the center. When it comes out clean (no cake batter), it's done!
• Cool the cake on a rack for 5 minutes. Slip a knive around the edges to loosen for the flipping, and invert onto a cake plate.

PEAR GINGER CAKE WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND RUM-CARAMEL GLAZE

Steps:

• Position racks in the bottom and top thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter three 9×2-inch round cake pans and line each with a parchment round. Butter the parchment. In a large bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. On low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three increments, alternating with the milk in two increments, starting and ending with the flour. Beat on low speed between each addition until just incorporated. The batter will be thick and fluffy. Stir in the pears, candied ginger, and vanilla. Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Level the batter with a spatula. Set two pans on the top rack and the third on the lower rack. Stagger the pans on the oven racks so that no pan is directly over another. Bake, swapping and rotating the pans' positions after 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool on racks for 30 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks, remove the parchment, and cool completely.
• Fill a cup measure with water and put a pastry brush in it. In a heavy-duty 3-quart saucepan, stir the sugar, lemon juice, and 1/3 cup cold water. Brush down the sides of the pan to wash away any sugar crystals. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan, until the mixture starts to color around the edges, 5 to 8 minutes. Gently swirl the pan once to even out the color and prevent the sugar from burning in isolated spots so that the sugar caramelizes evenly. Brush down the sides of the pan if the sugar threatens to burn. Continue to cook until the sugar turns medium amber, about 30 seconds more. (Once the mixture begins to color, it will darken very quickly so keep an eye on it.) Reduce the heat to low and carefully stir in the butter. It will bubble up. Keep stirring until the bubbles settle down, then add the cream a couple of tablespoons at a time, stirring to combine after each addition. Continue stirring until the caramel is smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum and salt. Strain the caramel through a fine sieve into a heatproof measuring cup to remove any small pieces of sugar. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. You should have about 1-2/3 cups.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and a cold bowl, whip the cream on medium speed until it starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, raise the speed to medium high, and continue to whip until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes more. Raise the speed to high until the cream forms stiff peaks and is very thick, about 30 seconds more.
• Put a cake layer on a flat serving platter or a cake stand lined with strips of waxed paper to keep it clean while icing. Top the layer with 2 cups of the whipped cream, spreading it evenly with a metal cake spatula almost to the cake's edge. Put the next cake layer over the filling and spread 2 more cups of the whipped cream over it. Top with the last cake layer and thickly coat the sides and top of the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.
• Slowly pour the glaze over the top of the cake, making sure that it covers the top and drizzles down the sides (some of the whipped cream frosting should show through the drizzles on the sides). Press the coarsely chopped candied ginger pieces in a 1-inch band around the base of the cake for decoration. Remove the waxed paper strips. Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving.

CARAMELIZED PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9×2-inch round cake pan (don't use a springform pan, as the caramel might leak out during baking). Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment and butter the top of the paper.
• Peel, core, and cut the pears lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the pear slices on the bottom of the pan in a circle around the edge, overlapping them slightly, with the pointed ends towards the center. If necessary, cut a little off the pointed ends to make the slices fit better. Or if the pear slices don't reach all the way to the middle, arrange a few of the shorter slices in the center to cover the bottom of the pan. Make the Basic Caramel according to the directions. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the 4 Tbs. of butter one piece at a time, until they are completely melted. Carefully pour the hot caramel evenly over the pears (it should spread over the pears and onto the bottom of the pan).
• Sift the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and salt into a medium bowl. Stir to combine. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vanilla. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.Turn the mixer to medium and slowly add the brown sugar. Increase the speed to high and continue to mix until lightened in texture and color, 2 to 3 minutes total. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to low and alternate adding the flour mixture and milk mixture in five additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix each addition just enough to incorporate, as overmixing will lead to a tougher cake. Scrape down the sides of the bowl one last time and mix briefly to blend well.
• Spoon the batter in large dollops over the pears and smooth it into an even layer with an offset spatula. Bake the cake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Turn a cake plate upside down on top of the cake pan and, using pot holders, carefully invert the cake pan onto the plate.

UPSIDE-DOWN PEAR GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Make topping:
• Peel and core pears and cut each into 8 wedges.
• Melt butter in skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Reduce heat to low, then sprinkle brown sugar over bottom of skillet and cook, undisturbed, 3 minutes (not all sugar will be melted). Arrange pears decoratively over sugar and cook, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Make cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together molasses and boiling water in a small bowl. Beat together butter, brown sugar, and egg in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes, then alternately mix in flour mixture and molasses in 3 batches at low speed until smooth.
• Pour batter over topping in skillet, spreading evenly and being careful not to disturb pears, and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Cool cake in skillet on a rack 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of skillet, then invert a large plate with a lip over skillet and, using pot holders to hold skillet and plate tightly together, invert cake onto plate. Replace any pears that stick to skillet. Serve warm or at room temperature.

GRANNY'S GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in molasses and egg until well blended. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with water., Transfer to a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack., For caramel sauce, in a small saucepan, combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla until smooth. Serve with warm cake. Top with whipped cream if desired.

GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED PEARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350*F.
• Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan.
• Combine the flour, soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and salt in a bowl and mix well.
• Combine the pear puree and buttermilk in a bowl and mix well.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl until creamy, scraping the bowl occasionally.
• Add the molasses and beat until blended.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; the batter will appear curdled.
• Add the flour alternately with the pear mixture, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl frequently to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or untila wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake begins to pull away from the side of the pan.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
• Remove to a wire rack.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Beat the whipping cream, sugar, vanilla and 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a mixing bowl until soft peaks form.
• Slice the cake and arranges on individual dessert plates, topped with the whipped cream and caramelized pears.
• For the pears: Heat the butter in a large heavy skillet until sizzling.
• Add the pears and toss to coat.
• Sprinkle with the sugar and stir.
• Cook for 10 minutes until the pears are caramelized and tender, stirring gently.
• Remove and let stand until room temperature.

CARAMELIZED PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in heavy 10-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet over low heat. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Arrange quartered pears in flower design atop sugar, cutting some pieces to fit center if necessary.
• Whisk flour, 2/3 cup sugar, crystallized ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, ground ginger and salt in medium bowl to blend. Whisk eggs, oil, vanilla and orange peel in large bowl to blend. Mix in grated pears. Mix dry ingredients into egg mixture.
• Carefully pour batter over pears in skillet. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cake in skillet on rack 20 minutes. Run knife around skillet sides to loosen. Place plate on skillet over cake. Invert cake onto plate. Serve warm.

PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Cut out a circle of baking paper that is roughly 2cm/¾in larger than the base of a 20cm/8in springform or loose-based round cake tin. Grease the sides of the tin and place the paper circle in the base, pressing up the sides slightly. This will help hold the caramel.
• For the pears, make a caramel by melting the sugar in small, deep saucepan over a low heat until golden brown, stirring only once most of the sugar has melted. (CAUTION: boiling sugar is extremely hot. Handle very carefully. Use a deep pan to avoid bubbling over.) Add the butter and stir with a long-handled wooden spoon very gently until melted. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the rum and ginger syrup until the sauce is smooth. Leave the caramel to stand for 15-20 minutes, or until it cools enough to coat the back of a spoon, stirring occasionally. Place a baking tray on the bottom of the oven to catch any caramel that leaks out of the cake tin and preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• While the caramel is cooling, peel the pears, cut into quarters and remove the cores. Cut each pear quarter into 3-4 long slices. Place the pear slices in the caramel and turn to coat. Arrange the pear slices in a fan shape in the bottom of the prepared cake tin.
• For the cake mixture, add all of the ingredients to a food processor and mix until smooth. Alternatively, place all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until a smooth mixture is formed. Gently spoon the mixture over the pears and smooth the surface. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cake is well risen, firm to the touch and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
• Using oven gloves to protect your hands, carefully loosen and remove the sides of the cake tin. Place a serving plate over the cake and carefully turn over. Remove the tin base and baking paper. This needs to be done while the cake is warm otherwise the caramel will harden and the cake will be more difficult to remove.
• Slice and serve the cake warm with ice cream as a dessert or by itself as a teatime treat.