Pear upside-down cake
A warm upside-down pear caramel cake with rum and ginger, baked until golden and turned out while soft and sticky for an indulgent dessert or teatime bake.
Updated : 28 January, 2026
Easy
About 20 min.
Ingredients
For the pears
50 grams
Sugar
50 grams
Butter
1 tablespoon
Rum
2
Pear
For the cake mixture
2
Eggs
125 grams
Butter
125 grams
Sugar
125 grams
Flour
1 teaspoon
Baking powder
1 teaspoon
Ginger powder
0.5 teaspoon
Allspice
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Cut a circle of baking paper roughly 2cm (¾in) larger than the base of a 20cm (8in) springform or loose-based round cake tin. Grease the sides of the tin, then place the paper in the base, pressing it slightly up the sides to help contain the caramel.
Step 2
To prepare the pears, make the caramel by melting the sugar in a small, deep saucepan over a low heat until it turns golden, stirring only once most of the sugar has melted. Take care - boiling sugar is extremely hot, so handle carefully and use a deep pan to prevent bubbling over. Add the butter and gently stir with a long-handled wooden spoon until melted. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the rum until smooth. Leave the caramel to stand for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cool enough to coat the back of a spoon. Place a baking tray on the bottom of the oven to catch any caramel that may leak, and preheat the oven to 180°C.
Step 3
While the caramel cools, peel the pears, quarter them and remove the cores. Slice each quarter into 3-4 long pieces. Add the pear slices to the caramel and turn to coat, then arrange them in a fan shape over the base of the prepared tin.
Step 4
For the cake batter, place all of the cake ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Alternatively, add everything to a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until a smooth mixture forms. Spoon the batter gently over the pears and smooth the surface. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake is well risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Step 5
Wearing oven gloves, carefully loosen and remove the sides of the tin. Place a serving plate over the cake and turn it out while still warm. Remove the tin base and baking paper - this step must be done while the cake is warm, as the caramel will harden as it cools.
Step 6
Slice and serve the cake warm, either with ice cream as a dessert or on its own as a teatime treat.
Author note
Share the recipe
