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Bartlett Pear Upside Down Gingerbread Cake

This recipe is shared with us via a lovely reader, Brendi, who writes: "...from my 1965 Better Homes and Gardens cookbook which was my first cookbook and the one I still use more than any other." Bartlett Pear Upside Down Gingerbread Cake with thick cream is a classic prairie autumn home food and this recipe will take you right back to your childhood!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Canadian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8
Author Valerie Lugonja via Brendi and Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

  • 6 pears , washed, cored and sliced lengthwise
  • Butter for pan
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup dark molasses
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup boiling water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Generously butter an 8x8x3 pan; arrange pear slices decoratively on the bottom
  3. Cover with mixture of 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon flour (The flour keeps the juice from the pears from being too juicy)
  4. Cream butter and sugar well; add egg
  5. Add molasses; beat well
  6. Mix dry ingredients together; add to butter mixture alternately with water while gently whipping
  7. Carefully pour batter over pears; bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes
  8. Serve with thick cream or vanilla ice cream and a sprig of fresh and fragrant mint