Upside-down pear cake
MAKE THIS AHEAD, THEN WARM THROUGH GENTLY TO SERVE
Serves 8–10 3 tbsp unsalted butter 50g dark brown sugar 4 tbsp orange juice 4 ripe medium pears, halved lengthways and cored for the sponge 120g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 200g golden caster sugar 150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda ½ tsp ground cinnamon Pinch of salt 3 eggs 60ml buttermilk 30g walnuts, roughly chopped
1 In a pan heat the 3 tbsp butter with the brown sugar until melted, then stir in the orange juice. Add the pears, cutside up, and cook gently for 3–4 mins.
2 Grease a 25cm diameter cake tin with butter and dust with flour. Remove the pears from the syrup and arrange, cut-side down, in the cake tin. Gently bubble the syrup for about 5 mins until reduced, then pour over the pears and cool the tin in the fridge.
3 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder, bicarb, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Mix together well before adding the eggs, one at a time, mixing well before each addition. Stir in the buttermilk and walnuts.
4 Pour the cake batter over the pears. Transfer the tin to a baking tray, in case the syrup leaks, and bake in the preheated oven for 30–40 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5 Remove the cake from the oven, allow to cool in the tin, then invert onto a cake stand or serving platter. Serve warm with vanilla custard.