PEAR AND SPELT UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
Pears are exactly in season now. Spelt and ground almonds instead of all white flour, so it reads as a treat without being a sugar bomb. Good one to bake ahead and just warm through before serving.
For the topping
● 50g butter
● 100g soft light brown sugar - muscavado
● 1 tsp ground cinnamon
● 3 ripe but firm pears, peeled, halved, cored, sliced into fans
For the cake
● 150g light spelt flour
● 100g ground almonds
● 1½ tsp baking powder
● 1 tsp ground cinnamon
● Pinch of salt
● 3 eggs
● 120g soft light brown sugar (or honey)
● 120ml olive oil or melted butter
● 1 tsp vanilla extract
● Zest of 1 lemon, optional
Method
1. Oven to 180°C fan. Butter a 20 to 23cm round cake tin, line the base with baking parchment.
2. Melt the butter, sugar and cinnamon together in a small pan until syrupy. Pour into the base of the tin. Arrange the pear fans on top.
3. Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and slightly thickened. Whisk in the oil, vanilla and lemon zest.
4. Fold in the spelt flour, ground almonds, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until just combined.
5. Pour the batter over the pears, spread level. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until springy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean.
6. Cool in the tin 10 minutes, then run a knife round the edge and invert onto a plate while still warm. Careful, the caramel will be hot.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature, with yoghurt or crème fraîche.
You can do this as a road cake or rectangular cake tin and once cool cut into slices to serve