Ingredients

  • FOR THE PEAR TOPPING:
  • 1/3 cups Maple Sugar (or Rapadura, Sucanat, Brown Sugar, Etc.)
  • 3 Tablespoons Salted Butter, Melted
  • 2 Ripe Pears, Peeled, Cored, And Sliced
  • FOR THE CAKE:
  • 6 Tablespoons Salted Butter, Softened
  • 3/4 cups Maple Sugar Or Sweetener Of Choice
  • 2 Large Eggs, Separated
  • 2 Tablespoons Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup Plus 2 Tablespoons Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoons Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoons Freshly Grated Nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoons Ground Cloves
  • 1/4 cups Whole Milk
  • 1/4 teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
  • Whipped Cream, Ice Cream, Or Vanilla Custard For Serving (optional)

Method

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Set aside.
  • For the topping, in a small bowl, combine the melted butter and maple sugar. Spread this in the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Arrange the pear slices on top of the butter/sugar mixture.
  • For the cake, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and maple sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and beat until combined. Add the milk and beat again. Add the remaining half of the dry ingredients and beat.
  • In a clean, medium-sized bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Gently and gradually fold into the cake batter in a few additions. Spread the batter over the pears in the pan.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the cake is golden-brown and it springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.
  • Invert onto a serving plate or cake stand. Serve warm with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or custard.
  • Adapted from my Rhubarb Upside Down Cake recipe, which was adapted from Taste of Home.