Although it is not something I do that often, I have been known to make a cake for my family to have for breakfast. Frankly, I really do not see much of a difference between eating donuts or pancakes for breakfast and eating a piece of cake for breakfast. I don’t even have much guilt if it is a fruit-laden upside-down cake like Pear Upside-Down Gingerbread.
This light, tender gingerbread is great on its own, but it is out of this world when combined with the slightly firm pears in the buttery brown sugar syrup. I love it while it is still warm with a dollop of whipped cream on the side.
While it is a great breakfast treat, it makes a wonderful dessert for any meal.
Pear Upside-Down Gingerbread
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 1/2 c. sorghum syrup or molasses
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 1 1/2 c. cake flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. ginger
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 c. melted unsalted butter
Base/Top
- Canned pear halves, well-drained
- 4 Tbsp. butter (+1 Tbsp. for 12″ skillet)
- 1/3 c. dark brown sugar (+ 2 Tbsp. for 12″ skillet)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs.
- Beat in sour cream, sorghum, and brown sugar until well combined.
- Sift flour, baking soda, ginger, and salt together.
- Stir the flour mixture into the creamed sugar mixture.
- Pour in melted butter and mix to combine well.
- In a 10 or 12-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter for the base/top either on the stovetop or in the oven.
- Stir in the base/top brown sugar until melted.
- Place pears cut side down in the syrup as desired. Do not put the pears all the way to the edge of the skillet, but allow enough of a gap that the cake can have a solid edge.
- Pour gingerbread batter evenly over the pears and the bottom of the skillet.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes for a 10-inch skillet or 20 to 25 for a 12-inch skillet OR until a toothpick/tester comes out clean.
- Cool for just a minute or two. Loosen edges of the cake as needed.
- Place an appropriate sized serving plate on top of the skillet.
- CAREFULLY, flip the cake onto the plate by turning the skillet upside-down while holding the serving plate securely to the bottom. Once it is on the plate, it is VERY difficult to adjust because the cake is still hot.
- Serve warm or room temperature with whipped cream, cream, etc. or plain.
© 2025 Copyright A Simple Home Cook
