A few days ago a good friend brought over a cake she made using the the recipe from
the novel, Eat Cake, by Jeanne Ray. It was an Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread Cake and the best gingerbread I've had in decades. It's cooked in a 10 " cast iron skillet and uses LOTS of molasses in the recipe. I had her send me the recipe but wonder if anyone has made this cake? She says she has trouble turning it out of the pan - it often sticks. Any suggestions before I get started?
Topping
2½ firm pears (e.g. Bosc)
½ stick butter
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
Cake
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp cloves
¼ tsp salt
1 cup molasses
1 cup boiling water
1 stick (½ cup) butter, softened
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
Make Topping:
Peel and core the pears and cut each into 8 wedges. Melt butter in skillet over
moderate heat until foam subsides. Reduce heat to low, then sprinkle brown
sugar over bottom of skillet and cook, undisturbed, 3 minutes (not all sugar
will be melted). Arrange pears decoratively over sugar and cook, undisturbed,
2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Whisk together
molasses and boiling water in bowl. Beat together butter, brown
sugar, and egg in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until
creamy, about 2 minutes, then alternately mix in flour mixture and molasses
in 3 batches until smooth.
Pour batter over topping in skillet, spreading evenly and being careful not to
disturb pears, and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 40-
50 minutes. Cool cake in skillet on a rack 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around
edge of skillet, then invert onto large plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.
the novel, Eat Cake, by Jeanne Ray. It was an Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread Cake and the best gingerbread I've had in decades. It's cooked in a 10 " cast iron skillet and uses LOTS of molasses in the recipe. I had her send me the recipe but wonder if anyone has made this cake? She says she has trouble turning it out of the pan - it often sticks. Any suggestions before I get started?
Topping
2½ firm pears (e.g. Bosc)
½ stick butter
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
Cake
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp cloves
¼ tsp salt
1 cup molasses
1 cup boiling water
1 stick (½ cup) butter, softened
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
Make Topping:
Peel and core the pears and cut each into 8 wedges. Melt butter in skillet over
moderate heat until foam subsides. Reduce heat to low, then sprinkle brown
sugar over bottom of skillet and cook, undisturbed, 3 minutes (not all sugar
will be melted). Arrange pears decoratively over sugar and cook, undisturbed,
2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Whisk together
molasses and boiling water in bowl. Beat together butter, brown
sugar, and egg in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until
creamy, about 2 minutes, then alternately mix in flour mixture and molasses
in 3 batches until smooth.
Pour batter over topping in skillet, spreading evenly and being careful not to
disturb pears, and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 40-
50 minutes. Cool cake in skillet on a rack 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around
edge of skillet, then invert onto large plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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