Upside-down pear cake by Sophie Gordon

- Preparation and cooking time
- Cook:
- Easy
Ingredients
- 3 Ripe Pears, 2 sliced into approx. eighths, 1 diced
- 240g Buckwheat flour
- 120g Coconut flour
- 2tsp Baking powder
- 165g Brown sugar (coconut sugar will also work)
- 2 heaped tsp, plus a little extra for dusting Cinnamon or mixed spices (nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, etc.)
- A pinch of salt
- 125g Coconut oil
- 500ml Unsweetened plant-based milk of choice (I love to use coconut milk here)
- 2tsp Vanilla extract
Method
- STEP 1
Preheat your oven to 180°C fan. Line a round cake tin (approx. 20cm) with some coconut oil or greaseproof paper. Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon and brown sugar evenly over the base of the tin.
- STEP 2
Place the slices from two of your pears around the bottom of the tin, arranging them relatively neatly in a fan shape. You can overlap here too. Put the tin to one side.
- STEP 3
In a mixing bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, coconut flour and baking powder. Add the rest of the brown sugar, the cinnamon/mixed spices and salt and mix well. Slowly pour in the coconut oil, plant-based milk and vanilla extract. Stir until you have a smooth batter, making sure not to over-beat. You want a ‘dropping consistency’, so if the batter is a little stiff, add a dribble more liquid.
- STEP 4
Mix the diced pear into the batter and pour it into the lined tin, spreading it evenly. Remove any air pockets by carefully banging the tin a few times on a surface, then bake in the oven for about 50–55 minutes.
- STEP 5
When done, the cake will be relatively spongy to touch and a lovely golden brown on top. Test the inside by using a sharp knife or skewer. It can be a little tricky if you hit a pear when testing, but you’ll be able to tell if the batter is done.
- STEP 6
Set aside to cool for 5–10 minutes. Once cool enough, turn the tin upside down on a cooling rack. Carefully remove the tin and greaseproof paper, if used. To serve, dust with a little extra spice.