This brown butter pear cake is an upside down cake flavored with ginger and cinnamon. Simple steps to make brown butter to use in flavoring the pears and as a rich addition to the cake batter.
Upside down cakes are always so fun to make, so simple, and so pretty and unique. And this brown butter upside down pear cake is so flavorful and really rocks it out of the park. If you have never made brown butter, this recipe will have you making it for everything.
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We topped this cake with simple powdered sugar and added a little extra on each piece as we serve it. This Brown Butter Upside Down Pear cake is one of the most flavorful cakes we have made. It’s amazingly Delish.
What is Brown Butter
Brown butter is regular butter that has been cooked until the water has evaporates and the milk solids have browned. As the butter melts, the milk solids rise in a frothy layer to the top, then sink to the bottom of the pan. As the milk solids sink they come into greater contact with the heat and turn brown. This creates a butter with a rich, nutty caramel flavor. It can be used in baked goods but remember it is lower in water content and recipes need to be adjusted. You can include brown butter in savory sauces for meats, fish, or chicken and as a simple topping for popcorn, corn, pancakes or steamed veggies.
Brown Butter Pear Cake Recipe:
Ingredients:
To prepare pan:
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons flour
For the Cake
- ½ cup butter (1 stick)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 pears peeled, cored and sliced into ⅛ inch pieces
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
Equipment Needed:
- Small Skillet
- 9 inch springform pan
- Parchment Paper
- Pasting Brush (for buttering the cake pan)
- Mixing Bowls
- Mixer
- Powdered Sugar Shaker Duster, optional
How to prepare to make this Upside Down Pear Cake:
Butter a 9 inch springform pan or a regular 9 inch cake pan using a brush to completely cover the bottom and sides of the pan so your upside down cake does not stick.
Set your cake pan on a large piece of parchment paper and draw a circle around the bottom. Cut out the circle to line the bottom of the pan.
Place to parchment paper circle in the pan and then generously butter the paper. Sprinkle the pan with flour and shake it so it completely covers the inside of the cake pan. Shake out the excess flour. This will help insure the easy removal of the upside down pear cake.
How to make Brown Butter:
Add ½ cup room temperature butter to a sauté skillet. Bring the heat up to medium high, stirring constantly until the butter melts.
Continue to stir as the butter begins to foam and eventually turns a golden brown. (about 4-7 minutes). The milk solids will toast on the bottom of the pan and the browned butter will have a nutty buttery rich aroma.
Pour the browned butter from the sauté pan into a small bowl or ramekin. Measure two tablespoons to put back in the pan. Place the bowl of the remaining browned butter in the freezer to set up. You need to stir the bowl of chilling butter every few minutes as it sets so it has the consistency of whipped butter. Add the brown sugar to the reserved butter in the pan and heat, stirring constantly as the sugar melts.
Add the peeled sliced pears to the pan and gently stir to coat them with the sugar mixture as they cook. Simmer until the pear slices are soft then remove them from heat but keep warm.
How to make the Brown Butter Pear Cake:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and ground ginger to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
Remove your browned butter from the freezer. It should have the chilled consistency of a whipped butter, stir it one last time and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl add sugar, butter and browned butter and mix with a mixer until completely combined.
Add eggs one at a time and mix and then add the vanilla.
Add the milk and flour mixture a little at a time to the butter egg mixture, mixing as you go.
Carefully pour the pears and the sauce into your prepared springform pan, smooth out to cover the entire bottom. Arrange the pears in a circle or any way you choose.
Dollop your brown butter pear cake on top of the pears. Carefully spread so it evenly covers the pear mixture. Place in your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick poked in it comes out almost clean. (a few crumbs attached)
Remove cake from oven and let it rest for about 1-2 minutes then run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan to loosen. Place a cake plate on top of the pan and flip. Immediately loosen the springform pan and remove the ring, remove the bottom of the pan and carefully lift off the parchment paper.
As soon as the cake is cooled, dust with powdered sugar using a sugar duster or a small mesh strainer. Slice into 8 equal slices and serve with additional powdered sugar dusted on top.
Other Cake Recipes:
- Old Fashioned Peach Coffee Cake
- Caramel Apple Upside Down Bundt Cake
- Butter Pecan Bundt Cake
- Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake
Click HERE to save this upside down pear cake to Pinterest
Brown Butter Pear Cake
Equipment
- Small Skillet
- Pasting Brush for buttering the cake pan
- Powdered Sugar Shaker Duster optional
Ingredients
To prepare pan:
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons flour
For the Cake
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 pears peeled, cored and sliced into ⅛ inch pieces
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F. Butter a 9 inch springform pan or a 9 inch cake pan using a brush to completely cover the bottom and sides of the pan so your upside down cake does not stick.
- Set your cake pan on a large piece of parchment paper and draw a circle around the bottom. Cut out the circle to line the bottom of the pan.
- Place to parchment paper circle in the pan and then generously butter the paper. Sprinkle the pan with flour and shake it so it completely covers the inside of the cake pan. Shake out the excess flour. This will help insure the easy removal of the upside down pear cake.
Brown Butter Instructions
- Add ½ cup room temperature butter to a sauté skillet. Bring the heat up to medium high, stirring constantly until the butter melts.
- Continue to stir as the butter begins to foam and eventually turns a golden brown. (about 4-7 minutes). The milk solids will toast on the bottom of the pan and the browned butter will have a nutty buttery rich aroma.
- Pour the browned butter from the sauté pan into a small bowl or ramekin. Measure for two tablespoons back into the pan. Place the bowl of the remaining browned butter in the freezer to set up. You need to stir the bowl of chilling butter every few minutes as it sets so it has the consistency of whipped butter. Add the brown sugar to the butter in the pan and heat, stirring constantly as the sugar melts.
- Add the peeled sliced pears to the pan and gently stir to coat them with the sugar mixture as they cook. Simmer until the pear slices are soft and remove from heat but keep warm.
Pear Cake Instructions
- Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and ground ginger to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
- Remove your browned butter from the freezer. It should have the chilled consistency of a whipped butter, stir it one last time and set aside.
- Add the sugar, butter and browned butter to a large mixing bowl, mix with a mixer until completely combined.
- Add eggs one at a time and mix on low and then add the vanilla and mix
- Add the milk and flour mixture a little at a time to the butter egg mixture, mixing as you go.
- Add the pears and the sauce into your prepared springform pan, smooth out to cover the entire bottom. Arrange the pears in a circle or any way you choose.
- Carefully dollop your brown butter pear cake on top of the pears. Carefully spread so it evenly covers the pear mixture. Place in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick poked in it comes out almost clean. (a few crumbs attached)
- Remove cake from oven and let it rest for about 1-2 minutes then run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan to loosen. Place a cake plate on top of the pan and flip. Immediately loosen the springform pan and remove the ring, remove the bottom of the pan and carefully lift off the parchment paper.
- As soon as the cake is cooled, dust with powdered sugar using a sugar duster or a small mesh strainer. Slice into 8 equal slices and serve with additional powdered sugar dusted on top.
Nutrition
