Upside Down Pear Coffee Cake
from a cozy mystery novel: Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke
Ingredients
Sweet Crumb Topping
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans (or oatmeal if nuts is not an option for you)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp cold salted butte
Fruit Layer
- ¼ cup butter (1/2 stick)
- ½ cup brown sugar (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
- 3 pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced, either fresh or canned.
- ½ cup golden raisins
Coffee Cake Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
- 1 cup white (granulated) sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder (1 tablespoon, NOT teaspoon)
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅓ cup softened, salted butter
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
- Prepare your baking pan(s). You'll need a 9-inch by 9-inch square pan with 2-inch tall sides. Spray your pan(s) with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare the Sweet Crumb Topping first.Use a fork from your silverware drawer to mix the chopped pecans and the brown sugar together in a small mixing bowl.
- Next, mix in the all-purpose flour and the cinnamon.
- Use the fork or a pie crust blender to cut in the cold butter. Continue to mix until the resulting mixture is crumbly.
- Set the Sweet Crumb Topping aside on the counter while you prepare the fruit layer.
- Place the butter in the bottom of your prepared baking pan(s). Set the pan(s) in the oven until the butter has melted. Use pot holders to take the pan(s) out of the oven and then move to a wire rack or a cold stove burner.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the melted butter in the pan(s).
- Arrange the thinly sliced pears in the pan(s).
- Sprinkle the golden raisins on top of the sliced pears.
- Let the pan(s) sit on the rack or cold burners while you make the Coffee Cake Batter.
- Prepare the batter: Combine the flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix for a few seconds on LOW speed and turn off the mixer.
- Add the softened butter, milk, and egg. Mix them in on LOW speed for a minute and then turn the mixer up to MEDIUM speed.
- Mix for one minute, then shut off the mixer and scrape down the bowl.Mix at MEDIUM speed for another 2 minutes, shut off the mixer, and scrape down the bowl again.Take the bowl out of the mixer and give it another stir by hand with a rubber spatula.
- Pour the Coffee Cake Batter over the fruit layer in your pan(s).
- Sprinkle the Sweet Crumb Topping over the Coffee Cake Batter in your pan(s)
- Bake your yummy creation at 350 degrees F. until a cake tester, long toothpick, or thin wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean with no batter sticking to it.Baking time for the 9-inch by 9- inch square pan should be approximately 50 minutes.If you used an 8-inch by 8-inch square pan, baking time should be approximately 60 minutes.If you also used a standard-sized bread pan, baking time should be approximately 40 minutes.
- Use pot holders to remove the pan(s) from the oven, then immediately invert a heatproof serving platter over the top of your pan. Hold on to the pan(s) with pot holders and invert the pan quickly.
- Leave the pan(s) in place, sitting on top of your Upside Down Pear Coffee Cake, for one or two minutes so that the butterscotch formed by the butter and brown sugar can drizzle down over the top of your coffee cake(s).