Pear Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

We all know that Thanksgiving desserts are all about pie. However, if you want to add a different touch to your dessert table, you can't go wrong with this stunning  Pear Cranberry Upside-Down Cake.  The cake is sweet and moist, spiced with cinnamon and ginger, studded with tart cranberries, and topped with brown sugar glazed pears . I'll take a piece of this with my pumpkin pie, please.  This cake can be served warm, with a dollop of whipped cream,  ice cream. or just eat it plain.  This would also be good for breakfast. What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert, besides pie?

If you have never made an upside-down cake, they come together easily. First you combine brown sugar, dark run or cranberry juice, and melted butter in the bottom of a sprayed 9 or 10 inch cake  pan. I used cranberry juice in place of the rum, because we were out of rum!  Horrors! I'm going buy more today;)  Arrange the pear slices and half of the cranberries on top of the brown sugar layer in the cake pan. Then you make your cake batter, adding the remaining cranberries, and pour over the pears in the pan. Pop in the oven, and bake for 50-55 minutes.  Remove from oven, and cool in pan 10 minutes only. Run a knife along the edges of the cake  and invert  onto a serving plate to cool. Enjoy!

Pear Cranberry Upside- Down Cake Adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 3 tablespoons dark rum or cranberry juice
• 1 1/2  cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 3 pears, ripe, but firm, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 cup cranberries, divided
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whisk the flour and baking powder, and spices together in a small bowl; set aside. Butter or spray a 9” cake pan.
2. Stir the brown sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, and dark rum or cranberry juice in a 9-inch cake pan until the sugar has dissolved. Arrange the pear slices and 1/2 cup cranberries. in the pan.  Set aside
3. . Beat 1/2 cup butter and the white sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the first egg until incorporated, and then beat in the second egg. Pour in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing until just incorporated Stir in the remaining cranberries. Gently pour the batter over the pears.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is golden brown, about 50-55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before running a knife along the edges and inverting onto a serving plate to cool.  Can be served warm or cool with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.