Upside Down Pear Cake

Made this for a girl’s night last night and it was SO good! There wasn’t a slice left by the end of the night. Thanks for the great recipe!

— Kristin

I am SO excited that the fall season is here! I love all the amazing desserts and comfort food recipes that always pop up this time of year. Pumpkin is definitely my first love when it comes to fall flavors, but apple and pear are very close behind! This weekend we had company over for dinner, and I wanted to come up with a dessert using some beautiful pears I picked up from the store. I decided to make an upside down pear cake, swapping the classic pineapple rings for delicious fresh pears!

I absolutely LOVE the way this recipe turned out! Not only does it look super impressive, but it tastes incredible, as well. The rich, cinnamon-infused flavor of spice cake combined with the buttery brown sugar coated pears is absolutely divine! I could almost just eat the pears off the top and leave the cake on my plate… Well, ALMOST 😉

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy. It’s super easy to make this recipe with a spice cake mix and few other simple ingredients!
• Uses up pears. I’m always looking for ways to use up this underrated fall fruit!
• So moist & delicious. Feast your sweet tooth on a generous slice of this incredibly moist, flavorful cake that has such a wonderful texture! It’s perfectly spiced and loaded with tender, sweet pears.

Ingredients needed 

I love that everything in this dessert is simple with no hard to find ingredients! Here are the ingredients that you’ll need:

• Butter. The small amount of butter needed for this recipe will be melted in the cake pan to make the pears buttery and delicious.
• Brown sugar. Sprinkle this over the melted butter before placing the pears in the bottom of the cake pan. The butter/brown sugar combo caramelizes the pears and turns them into an irresistible treat!
• Pears. You’ll want to use ripe pears that are not too soft. I like to use Anjou (red or green), Bartletts (red or green), or Bosc pears in baking recipes. We’ll talk about the pears in detail below.
• Cinnamon. Added to give the pears the perfect fall flavor. You could try using pumpkin pie spice instead.
• Spice cake mix. Use any 15-ounce boxed cake mix. I chose a spice cake mix, which includes ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. The warmth from the spices gives me all the fall feels. This cake looks and tastes amazing, but it will save you time and effort in the kitchen.
• Water & oil. My cake mix called for 1 cup water, 1/3 cup oil and 3 eggs. Use whatever ingredients your cake mix instructs.
• Eggs. You’ll need three! It’s best if these are room temperature.

How to make this recipe

This pear cake really couldn’t be easier to make! Instead of baking a cake from scratch, I used a spice cake mix, and my family honestly couldn’t even tell the difference. It’s great to make things from scratch, but when you’re short on time and don’t have the patience for it, using a boxed cake mix is an awesome kitchen shortcut.

1. Melt the butter. Place butter in a round cake pan and heat it in the oven until melted. Once the butter is melted, remove the pan from the oven and add the brown sugar over the butter.
2. Arrange the pears. Peel and slice the pears and toss in the 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Then, place the pears over the brown sugar in the cake pan. You’ll want to slightly overlap the pears as you place them into the bottom of the cake pan. You can see how this is done in the photos.
3. Prepare the cake batter. In a large mixing bowl, stir the cake ingredients as the box instructs (wet and dry ingredients). Gently pour or spoon the cake batter over the pears. Carefully, without moving the pears around, spread the cake batter evenly over the pears.
4. Bake and enjoy. This cake will need to bake for 45 minutes and until a toothpick comes out clean. I know 45 minutes seems like it may be too long, but trust me, it will take about that amount of time. Let cake cool for about 5 minutes and then invert the cake onto a serving plate. Now let everyone oooh and aaaah over your gorgeous creation before diving in! It really is something to be marveled at : ) Enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Frequently asked questions

Tips for recipe success

A few notes for recipe success and a delicious pear cake!

• Inverting the cake is easy, but timing is important. If the cake is too hot, the fruit layer is still too juicy to flip. However, if the cake cools for too long, you run the risk of the pears sticking to the pan. Cool the cake for 5-10 minutes and you’ll be good to go!
• Brown sugar is a MUST for this cake recipe. It’s what gives the pears that caramelized flavor. Don’t replace the brown sugar with granulated sugar or coconut sugar.
• Toppings are optional and honestly this cake is pretty amazing on its own. But I’ve never been one to pass up a scoop of ice cream! You can pair this cake with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce or a dusting of powdered sugar to make it even more fancy.
• Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you like the cake warm (I do!) just pop a slice in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds.

Variations

We love this pear cake recipe as-is, but it can also be easily customized to include your favorite flavors.

• Nuts. For an added crunch, you can toss sliced almonds, chopped pecans, or walnuts over the brown sugar before layering on the pears. Or sprinkle the nuts over the top of the cake, prior to serving.
• Pear + apple cake. Use a combination of pears and apples for the top of the cake.
• Upside down apple cake. Replace all of the pears with apple slices.
• Upside down yellow pear cake. Switch up the cake and use a yellow cake mix instead of the spice cake mix.

If you try this easy cake recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.