Mary Berry Pear Upside Down Cake
Mary Berry’s Pear Upside Down Cake is a classic British dessert featuring soft, caramelized pears arranged on the base of the cake tin, covered with a light, spongy cake batter. When baked and flipped, the caramelized fruit glazes the cake, giving it a stunning presentation and delicious flavor.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
Scale
For the Caramelized Pear Topping:
- 3 ripe pears (peeled, cored, and sliced)
- 50g (¼ cup) unsalted butter
- 75g (⅓ cup) light brown sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
For the Cake Batter:
- 175g (1½ cups) self-raising flour
- 175g (¾ cup) unsalted butter (softened)
- 175g (¾ cup) caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp milk
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Caramelized Pear Topping
- Grease the cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar until smooth.
- Stir in lemon juice, then pour the caramel into the cake tin.
- Arrange the pear slices neatly over the caramel.
Step 2: Make the Cake Batter
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or 350°F.
- In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- Sift in self-raising flour and baking powder, folding gently.
- Add milk to loosen the batter slightly.
Step 3: Assemble and Bake the Cake
- Carefully spoon the cake batter over the pears, smoothing the top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 4: Flip and Serve
- Let the cake cool in the tin for 5 minutes.
- Run a knife around the edges and invert onto a serving plate.
- Serve warm with whipped cream, ice cream, or custard.