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Upside-Down Spiced Pear Instant Tea Cake

by Whittard of Chelsea

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Published . Reviewed

Jessie Bakes Cakes creates a soft, fragrant sponge infused with Whittard Spiced Pear Instant Tea, topped with beautifully caramelised pear slices and finished with a light dusting of icing sugar. Best served with a generous spoonful of salted caramel mascarpone!

How to Make

Upside-Down Spiced Pear Instant Tea Cake

Time

1 Hour 20 Minutes

Difficulty

Medium

Serves

8-10

INGREDIENTS:

Caramelised Pear Layer:
50 grams unsalted butter
100 grams Light brown sugar
½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
2-3 Pears ripe but firm

Spiced Pear Sponge:
225 grams Unsalted butter, softened
200 grams Caster sugar
50 grams Whittard Spiced Pear Instant Tea
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
4 medium Eggs, room temp
250 grams Self-raising flour
1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
0.5 teaspoon Ground ginger
1 tablespoon Milk

Salted Caramel Mascarpone:
250 grams Mascarpone
3 tablespoons Salted caramel sauce
1-2 tablespoons Milk

To Finish:
Icing sugar for dusting

  1. 1.
    Prepare The Caramel And Pears: Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional.
  2. 2.
    Grease the sides of a 20cm (8-inch) cake tin and line the base with baking parchment. You'll need to use a cake tin that has a fixed base (not springform or loose-based).
  3. 3.
    Stir the brown sugar and cinnamon to combine.
  4. 4.
    Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour into the base of the lined cake tin.
  5. 5.
    Scatter the cinnamon sugar on top.
  6. 6.
    Peel the pears, cut them in half and remove the cores. Slice them thinly, approximately 2–3 millimetres thick.
  7. 7.
    Arrange the pear slices directly over the caramel in a spiral, starting around the outside edge and working towards the centre.
  8. 8.
    Make The Sponge: Cream the softened butter, caster sugar, Whittard Spiced Pear Instant Tea and vanilla together for 3–4 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
  9. 9.
    Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of the flour if the mixture starts to look curdled.
  10. 10.
    Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
  11. 11.
    Add the dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture. Fold gently until combined.
  12. 12.
    Carefully spoon the mixture over the arranged pears, spreading it gently into an even layer.
  13. 13.
    Bake The Cake: Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the sponge is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  14. 14.
    Leave the cake in the tin for 20 minutes after removing it from the oven.
  15. 15.
    Run a knife carefully around the edge of the cake to make sure the sponge isn't stuck to the tin.
  16. 16.
    Place a serving plate over the tin and carefully invert the cake onto the plate. Peel back the parchment paper.
  17. 17.
    Make The Salted Caramel Mascarpone: Place the mascarpone and caramel sauce into a bowl. Mix until smooth and combined.
  18. 18.
    If the mascarpone is particularly thick, add a little milk and mix until you have a soft, spoonable consistency. Be careful not to overmix as it can loosen very quickly.
  19. 19.
    To Serve The Cake: Dust the top lightly with icing sugar.
  20. 20.
    Cut into slices and serve with a generous spoonful of salted caramel mascarpone. Enjoy!