Vegan Cardamom Pear Upside-Down Cake

Well, bless my heart, it’s about time I done shared this! This tale begins a little while back when I whipped up a vegan cardamom pear upside down cake for my beau’s pappy’s birthday. It was mighty tasty but needed some fiddlin’ with.

Only hitch was, I didn’t jot down the recipe at that point, so when it came time to tinker with it for this here blog of mine, I had to start fresh. Plus, I was all in a muddle about whether the cake needed some sort of topping.

First off I tried one with toasted marshmallow fluff on top; then another version had a soft meringue cream topping. But both seem to be taking away too much from the flavor of the cake itself and those lovely rustic pear halves showing through the sponge.

Finally settled on an optional meringue topping (watch out for that recipe – comin’ soon!), crunchy on outside yet perfectly chewy within. You can whip this up ahead of time and pop it on just before you’re ready to serve. Or heck! Just savour that cake straight up!

This sponge cake hits a sweet spot – not too sugary but sure ain’t bland either. Light and airy yet deliciously moist all at once. And let me tell ya ’bout them cardamom infused poached pear halves; they’re tender as a southern night breeze, juicy enough to drip down your chin and got these lightly caramelized edges…

Let me tell you, this is one refined addition to your holiday baking list.

If y’all recreate this recipe in your own kitchens do make sure to tag your picture #myvibrantkitchen on Instagram – love seeing your pretty pictures! And don’t forget now, sign up for My Vibrant Kitchen’s newsletter so you get all them latest recipes, tips for living vegan-style and travel adventures delivered straight into your inbox.


Vegan Cardamom Pear Upside-Down Cake Recipe

Vegan Cardamom Pear Upside-Down Cake

Preparation Time

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

Serves

1 cake

Ingredients

  • 2 pears
  • ½ tsp white caster sugar
  • 2 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil or margarine
  • 250 ml soy milk
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 80 ml vegetable oil
  • 200 g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 200 g white caster sugar
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C (fan oven).
  2. Slice the pears in half and sprinkle the cut, flat sides with 1 tsp of the cardamom powder and ½ tsp sugar.
  3. Line a loose bottom cake tin with baking paper the size and shape of the bottom of the tin and grease it with margarine or oil. Place the pear halves flat side down in the tin and sprinkle with another 1 tsp cardamom powder.
  4. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
  5. In another bowl whisk together the soy milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract and vegetable oil. Once it starts to curdle and thicken pour it into the large mixing bowl and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
  6. Pour and scrape the batter on top of the pear halves and pop the cake in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Let the cake cool for 20 minutes before carefully removing it from the tin. Slice off the domed top to make it flat and turn it upside down.
  8. I’ve topped mine with vegan meringue kisses (recipe coming soon!). Enjoy!

If you have a sweet tooth like me and are looking for more delectable recipes to satisfy your cravings, I’ve got you covered. Take a look at my Vegan Caramel Apple Crumble recipe – it’s perfect for cozy evenings in.

Or try your hand at my Vegan German Coconut Macarons Aka Kokosmakronen recipe – they’re surprisingly easy to make and taste heavenly!

Don’t miss out on my Vegan Festive Brownies With Pecans, Cranberries & Salted Caramel recipe, it’s sure to be a hit at any gathering.

And for those cold nights when all you want is something warm and comforting, try my Vegan Toasted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate recipe – it goes down a treat. Enjoy!

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