Fresh Pear Upside-Down Cake

By luvmybuttonsnbows

Buttered Orange Sauce: In saucepan, blend 1 c. orange juice with 1 tbsp. cornstarch, ½ c. sugar, 1 tbsp. butter and ½ tsp. ginger. Cook, stirring until thickened. When fresh pears are not available, substitute canned pear halves cooked in light syrup.

Ingredients

• 3 fresh pears
• 3/4 c. butter or margarine
• 1/4 c. brown sugar, well packed
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. grated orange rind
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 2/3 c. flour
• 1/2 c. milk
• Buttered Orange Sauce
• sweetened whipped cream, optional
• toasted slivered almonds, optional

Preparation

Step 1

Pare, halve and core the pears. Set aside. Put ¼ c. of the butter into a 10 x6 x ¼ in. glass pan. Place into oven as it preheats to melt. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter, arrange pears over brown sugar, cut side toward pan. Cream the remaining ½ c. butter with the sugar, egg, orange rind and vanilla. Blend in the baking powder and salt. Add the flour alternately with the milk, blending well. Pour mixture over pears evenly. Bake at 350° for 45 min. or until center of cake tests done. Invert onto serving plate. Serve warm with sauce and whipped cream, if desired.