PEARfect fall dessert! You see what I did there, pear…fect… 🙂 Ok, sorry that was cheesy, but sometimes we forget about the pear in all of our fall frenzy over pumpkin and apples! Pears lend beautifully in sweet and savory applications all fall long. Let’s give apples and pumpkin a time-out this weekend and feature the pear! Starting with my Cast-iron Pear Rosemary Olive Oil upside-down cake! The beautiful pears are caramelized and tender from sitting in that dreamy caramel sauce in the heat of the cast iron skillet with the rosemary olive oil cake sitting on top soaking in all that gooey caramel and pear juice making for the most tender and moist cake you have ever tasted! That’s right, the most moist… moist, moist, moist… cake ever! For reals though.
I will admit it, I, too, get so wrapped up in all the delicious apples and spice and pumpkin this and that, I forget about that beautiful pear! Their subtle sweet flavor is perfect accompaniment to so many flavors that are perfect for your fall fiestas!
I don’t typically reach for a pear when I want a snack or craving fruit. But when I do and you dig into it at just the right amount of ripeness, with the juices running down your face, I wonder, why don’t I do this more often? In that moment, it takes me back to a time in high school when my friend and I were always going to my guidance counselor to get out class passes or have my friend come to my photography class with me, or because we were late for school and needed a pass…he was really cool and he always provided! Well one such day we went to his office for said pass and he wasn’t in, so we were waiting in his office for him. We saw his sack lunch and in it was a perfectly ripe pear. Something just came over us and we ate his pear!! I know, horrible, we were kids, cut us some slack. But anyway, it was that just right ripe, and all those glorious juices ended up on your chin, shirt and floor and hands! But we both were blown away by the amazingness of that juicy pear. Then we felt really bad for eating his perfect pear. We did drop a pear off in his office a few days later though, so there, amends. Now every time I bite into a gloriously ripe pear, I am immediately brought back to my high school counselor’s office with my friend depriving him of that sweet, sweet nectar.
Well, I am not going to deprive you of this sweet, sweet cake! Honestly, it really is so good. The caramel sauce the pears sit in is simple, made up of brown sugar, butter, salt and some dry white wine. Baking in the cast-iron skillet amps up the caramelization of the pears and forms a caramel crust around the cake. Speaking of the cake, to help round out that sweetness from the caramel and pears, the cake is made with olive oil as apposed to butter and infused with fresh rosemary to provide that certain je ne sais quoi and herbaceousness. The crumb of the cake melts in your mouth and you get all the flavor from the caramel seeping down into the batter. It really is the PEARfect match…sorry did it again.
Golden brown top!
Rising above the rest! Be sure to bake on a large tinfoil lined baking sheet. While this puppy bakes, some of those caramelly juices will spill over the edge. You don’t want your kitchen to fill with smoke from those drippings…like mine may or may not have…rookie mistake! 🙂
Can’t stop, won’t stop drooling over those beautiful pears in that caramel goodness!
Such a beautiful presentation too.
Seriously, how can anyone resist this!
The perfect slice looks great on my new Williams Sonoma French Bistro Plates!
Tender crumb, with the bits of rosemary baked in to perfection.
Any who, this is a perfect cake to make for your fall dinner parties, Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving or even brunch gathering! Don’t worry, all those delicious juices are soaked up in the cake and will not end up dribbling down your chin. Unless of course you are a really messy eater, then I can’t help you there. I can help you achieve Cast-iron Pear Rosemary Olive Oil Cake greatness though! So get on it, give pears their day in the fall flavor palooza.
Happy Weekending!
- For the Cake:
- 1⅔ cups cake flour
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp. almond oil (optional)
- 2 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary
- 1 cups sugar
- ¼ cup mascarpone - room temp
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- 2 large eggs room temp
- 1½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup whole milk room temp
- 2 ripe yet still firm pears, any variety sliced around ¼ inch thick (I used Starkrimson)
- For the Caramel:
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tbsp. whole milk
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- Ten inch cast-iron skillet needed. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
- For the Cake:
- In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients and chopped rosemary, whisk to combine and set aside.
- In the bow of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the sugar and eggs and beat until the sugar has dissolved into the eggs. Add the mascarpone and mix to combine. Add the vanilla extract. Slowly add half of the dry ingredients and mix to just incorporate. Add the milk and mix to combine. Add the rest of the dry and mix to just incorporate. Add the olive oil and almond oil and mix to incorporate. Set aside while you prepare the pears and caramel.
- For the Caramel:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees while you prepare the caramel.
- Heat the cast-iron skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine until the brown sugar has melted. About 3-5 minutes. Carefully add the milk while stirring, when the bubbles subside add the salt and stir for another 1 to 2 minutes. Next very carefully add the wine while stirring. Continue to stir until the caramel is smooth another 2 to 4 minutes.
- Add the sliced pears to the skillet in a circular pattern, doesn't have to be perfect, until the entire bottom of the skillet is covered. Sprinkle the pears with a little sea salt.
- Slowly add the batter to the skillet to cover the pears, even out the batter with an off-set spatula or knife. Place skillet on prepared baking sheet and place in the oven on the middle rack.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes rotating halfway through and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove skillet from oven and place on cooling rack and allow to sit at room temp for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Place the serving plate or cake board (larger than the skillet) over the top of the cake and skillet. Carefully (skillet may still be warm so you may need oven mitts) turn the skillet over while holding the plate in place. Gently lift the skillet up and the cake should release easily. If any pears get stuck in the pan just place them back on the cake. Allow to continue to sit at room temp for another 15 to 20 minutes to let the caramel set a bit.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can gently re-heat slices in the microwave in 10 second intervals to warm if desired.
- Enjoy!
There’s no temp for this pear and rosemary cake.
Hi Lauren,
It’s 350 degrees, thanks for pointing that out!! I updated the recipe.
Diane