Pear and cardamom upside-down cake
Perfectly ripe, the pear is a paradox: verging on crisp, yet soft as velvet. With every juicy bite, its delicate flavor invites comparisons to nectar and flowers and meadows, but there’s no need really. Just as its voluptuous silhouette sets the standard in the lexicon of shapes, the pear tastes inimitably of itself.
Still, it requires a little patience. With the pear, there is a time for everything. A time for picking, when the fruit is mature yet hard. A time for ripening, when sweetness unfurls from its core, transforming the flesh all the way to the skin. And a time for eating, when those who have patiently watched and waited are at last rewarded. When that moment arrives, you must seize it -- gently. This is when you hold the pear in your hand, its bulbous blossom end a comforting weight in your palm and its narrow head securely snug between thumb and finger, and lightly squeeze by the stem. It will yield just so, and you’ll know. It is ready. Waste not a moment -- the beautiful paradox lasts only so long.
Eaten out of hand, it is perfection. Placed in the hand of a cook, it is inspiration. Sweetness begets sweetness.
Here in Southern California, our leaves might not turn the rusty reds and fiery yellows and brilliant greens and mossy browns of a picture-book fall, but our pears most certainly do. And perhaps that is why we prize them even more. They’re our harbinger of the season.
From the story: Ripe with anticipation
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-by-1 1/2 -inch round cake pan.
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Stir in the cardamom and set aside.
Melt one-fourth cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar has melted and combined with the butter. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan, spreading it to reach the sides.
Peel the pears, cut in half and remove the core and stem. Cut each half crosswise into one-fourth-inch-thick slices. Arrange the pear slices in a slightly overlapping circle around the cake pan, starting at the outer rim. Finish with several slices in the center. Sprinkle the pears with the lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Beat the remaining one-half cup butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until soft and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl when needed. Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, beating after each addition just until combined.
Gently spoon the cake batter on top of the pears, smoothing out to the edge of the pan and making sure the cake batter fills in around the pears.
Bake until the top is a deep golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Place the cake on a rack to cool for 5 minutes in the pan.
Run a small spatula or knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a cake plate, leaving the pan on the cake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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