Upside-down pear gingerbread cake is a gingerbread spiced cake topped with melted butter and sweet sliced pears baked until golden brown.

Upside down pear cake on a white dish with 3 pears, a bowl of cinnamon and a spoon, and a pie cutter on the side.

Pear Gingerbread Cake Overview

Yum! This cake is delicious with warming spices and juicy pears. It's baked with the pears at the bottom of the baking pan then flipped over for a beautiful presentation.

The prep work is simple. First, peel and slice the pears. Next add butter and sugar to a baking dish and add the pear slices. Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then combine the two. Pour the batter into the baking dish, bake, flip it over to reveal the pear slices, and it's ready to serve.

Recipe Ingredients

1 Tbsp unsalted butter - melted
3 Tbsp brown sugar
3 ripe Bartlett pears
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour - or cake & pastry flour
½ cup granulated sugar - or cane sugar
3 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
½ cup milk
¼ cup molasses
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Four overhead images in one: 1. Pears peeled with vegetable peeler. 2. Pears sliced in half. 3. Pears brushed with lemon juice. 4. Pears sliced thin.

How To Make Pear Gingerbread Cake

Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish with cooking oil.

STEP 2: Peel the skin off 3 ripe Bartlett pears with a vegetable peeler. Slice the pears in half then remove the inner core and stem with a spoon and knife.

STEP 3: Brush the pears with 1 Tbsp lemon juice then slice the pears into thin strips.

Four overhead images in one: 1. Butter and brown sugar in a baking dish. 2. Pear slices placed on top of sugar and butter. 3. Dry ingredients added to a bowl. 4. Dry ingredients mixed.

STEP 4: Pour 1 Tbsp of melted unsalted butter evenly into an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle in 3 Tbsp brown sugar. Arrange the pears into a single layer on top of the butter and sugar.

STEP 5: In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients: 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, 3 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground allspice, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, and ¼ tsp salt.

Four overhead images in one: 1. Wet ingredients added to a bowl. 2. Wet ingredients are mixed. 3. Dry ingredients are added to wet. 4. Wet and dry ingredients are mixed.

STEP 6: In a separate bowl add ½ cup milk, ¼ cup molasses, 2 large eggs, 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, and mix together.

STEP 7: Add the dry to the wet ingredients and, mix until combined. Do not overmix.

Two overhead images in one: 1. Cake mix poured into baking dish. 2. Cake is baked and removed from oven.

STEP 8: Pour the cake mix into the prepared square baking dish. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked through the center. Let cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish.

Two overhead images in one: 1. Cake is flipped upside-down and placed on a plate. 2. Cake is sliced into squares.

STEP 9: Gently loosen the sides of the cake with a butter knife or spatula. Place a large plate (big enough to cover the cake) over the baking dish. Gently flip the baking dish over onto the large plate. The bottom of the cake is now facing up so that the pears can be featured.

STEP 10: Slice into squares, serve, and enjoy!

Slices of pear gingerbread cake with pears in background

Recipe Tips

I used Bartlett pears for this recipe. You can also use bosc pears. The most important thing is to make sure they are ripe.
If the edges of the cake are starting to brown cover the top with aluminum foil for the rest of the baking time.
Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to peel and core the pears.
Pear slices can be arranged facing the same way as photos, placed to make a spiral, or in a decorative pattern of your choice.
Serve this delicious cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

How to store leftovers

Refrigerate - Leftover gingerbread cake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat - I like to warm slices in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.

Looking down at the sliced pears on a brown square cake, sitting on a white decorative plate.

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