Mom’s Pear Skillet Cake
The recipe for this homey cake comes from my mom, who made it for us to sell at my restaurant and then in the early days of the Market. I think that cast-iron skillets are one of the most versatile and indispensible cooking vessels you can have, and this cake is proof of that!
Recipe information
Yield
SERVES 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F.
Step 2
Peel, quarter, and core 4 of the pears and set aside. Peel and grate the other 2 and set them aside separately.
Step 3
In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter. Arrange the quartered pears on the sugar; if necessary, trim a few pieces to fit and fill the center.
Step 4
Combine the flour, granulated sugar, crystallized ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, ground ginger, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend. In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, vanilla, and orange zest until blended. Stir in the grated pears. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended.
Step 5
Pour the batter over the pears and smooth the top. Bake until the cake is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool the cake in the skillet for 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn out onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.
