Pear & Ginger Upside Down Cake

This is an old faithful recipe that is delicious served warm, with ice cream, with the syrup dripping down the sides of the cake OR cook it at a slightly higher temperature so that the syrup reduces a little more & the cake is therefore less messy to transport to playgroup or a morning tea.

Serves 16

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
250 grams butter, melted, cooled
3 pears, peeled, cored, cut into 2cm slices
1 cup golden syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tsp crushed ginger (from the jar)
1 tsp mixed spice
200 grams light sour cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 160/140 fan forced (I kept it at 160 to reduce the syrup more)

Lightly grease 6cm deep, 23cm square cake pan. Line base & sides with baking paper.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of brown sugar over base of pan. Pour 1/3 of the cup of butter over sugar. Arrange pear slices in a single layer over butter & sugar.

Place remaining butter in large bowl. Whisk in syrup, eggs, soda, flour, ginger, mixed spice & remaining sugar. Stir in sour cream. Pour batter over pears.

Bake for 1 hr 30 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Stand for 10 mins then turn out onto a platter to serve.

Banana Caramel Muffins

I love bananas & I love love love those yellow banana lollies, but that is where my banana love affair ends. Banana milk? Gag. Banana cake? Gag....You get the idea. But from time to time I end up with overripe bananas in the bowl so waste not want not! Plus the kids haven't inherited my dislike :-)


1 cup self raising flour
3/4 plain flour
1/4 cup caster sugar
60 margarine melted
1 cup of milk
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup mashed banana
1/3 cup caramel bits

Preheat your oven to 170 degrees fan forced.

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl & wet ingredients in another. Make a well in the dry ingredients & pour the wet ingredients in. With a wooden spoon mix until just combined, do not beat.

Divide mix between 12 texas muffin cases & cook for 22 mins or until lightly golden & just firm to the touch.

Cool in pan for 5 mins then transfer to wire rack to cool.

NOTE: I double batch everything as there is so many of us, but this is a single recipe.