This scrumptious Rosemary-Pear Upside-Down Cake is crowned with sweet, juicy fruit!
Rosemary-Pear Upside-Down Cake
2016-12-29 02:29:56
Makes 1 (10-inch) cake
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups sugar, divided
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons butter, softened and divided
- 4 Anjou pears, peeled, thinly sliced, and cored
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 large eggs, separated
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup finely ground toasted almonds
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup half-and-half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 10-inch round cake pan with baking spray with flour; line bottom of pan with parchment paper, and spray paper with baking spray.
- In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup sugar and ⅓ cup water to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue cooking, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 340°. Remove from heat, and carefully stir in 3 tablespoons butter until melted and mixture is smooth. Pour caramel into prepared pan, and let cool completely.
- Arrange pear slices in overlapping concentric circles in cooled caramel in bottom of pan.
- In a large bowl, beat remaining ½ cup butter, remaining ¾ cup sugar, and extracts with a mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape sides of bowl. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour, ground almonds, rosemary, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with half-and-half, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.
- In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with a mixer at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Fold one-third of egg whites into batter; stir in remaining egg whites just until combined. Gently spread batter onto pears in pan.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes, covering with foil halfway through baking to prevent excess browning, if necessary. Let cool for 30 minutes. Run a knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Invert cake onto a serving platter, and serve immediately. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Notes
- When grinding almonds, stop when they resemble fine crumbs. Any further grinding can quickly turn the crumbs into almond butter.
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