Upside Down Pear Gingerbread Cake

ingredients

3 peeled small pears, cored and cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices
2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger, divided
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon powdered sugar

directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine pears, 1 tablespoon ginger, and lemon juice. Coat a 9x2 round cake pan with cooking spray; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Arrange pears in bottom of pan in a circular pattern. Combine brown sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Beat in egg. Add milk, molasses and 1 tablespoon ginger; beat until well blended. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients. Add flour mixture to batter, stir until well blended. Pour over pears. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pan 20 minutes on a wire rack. Place a plate sprinkled with powdered sugar upside down on top of cake pan; invert cake onto plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Lori Pearson