Brown Butter Hazelnut Pear Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

Hazelnut cake batter:

• 6 tablespoon (84g) unsalted butte
• ½ cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• ⅓ cup (80ml) full fat sour cream
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
• ¾ cup (75g) finely ground roasted hazelnuts (measured after grinding)
• 1 cup (142g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (120ml) whole milk

For the Pears:

• 2 large ripe but firm Bosc pears
• 1 ½ tablespoon (18g) granulated sugar

For topping:

• ¼ cup (60ml) Easy Salted Caramel Sauce

Directions

1. First brown the butter. Follow this tutorial here to learn how to brown butter, then set it aside to cool for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line an 8-inch round baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang at each side. Brush the parchment lightly with some of the brown butter.
3. Make the pear layer. Slice the pears in half and then remove the core and cut out the stem. Slice each half into thirds or quarters lengthwise so you get 6-8 wedges from each pear depending on how big they are. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the base of the lined and brushed pan, then arrange pear wedges tightly in any way over the sugar.
4. Make the cake batter. Combine cooled brown butter, both types of sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy. Mix in the ground hazelnuts. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add it to the wet mixture and fold it in by hand with a spatula until mostly incorporated but a few streaks of flour remain. It will be thick. Pour in the milk and fold it in until batter is evenly combined.
5. Gently scrape the batter into the pan over the pears and spread it out evenly. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cake is evenly browned and it feels firm to the touch. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out without any wet batter. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Once cool, invert the cake onto a serving plate and peel of the parchment. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce before serving.

Notes:

• Caramel sauce recipe https://scientificallysweet.com/easy-salted-caramel-sauce/