Upside-down sticky pear and walnut cake

I was never a fan of upside-down cakes, until I realised one vital point, said Nicola Lamb: they MUST be eaten warm. Somewhere between a cake and a hot pudding, this one is just the thing to serve at the end of a celebratory lunch. The buckwheat flour gives it the most delicious, potent flavour; but if you don’t have any to hand, you could sub for more ground walnuts or flour.

Ingredients:

• 60g walnuts
• 240g soft light brown sugar
• 80g butter
• 120g double cream
• 3g flaky sea salt (about 1 tsp)
• 400g pears (about 2)
• 100g butter, softened
• 100g soft dark brown sugar
• 25g caster sugar
• 100g whole eggs
• 90g plain flour
• 15g buckwheat flour
• 8g baking powder (about 2 tsp)
• 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1-2g flaky sea salt (about 1⁄2 tsp)
• 20g toasted walnuts from above
• 45g whole milk
• 35g double cream
• Plus: ice cream or pouring cream, to serve

Method:

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• Toast the walnuts in a frying pan over a medium heat for 5-8 mins, or for 15-20 mins in a 200°C oven, until toasty and golden. Set 40g aside and roughly chop – you want a mixture of sizes with some halves and larger pieces.
• To make the goo: in a saucepan combine the sugar and butter. Bring to the boil and bubble for 1-2 mins until darkened. Whisk in the cream and salt and bubble for 1 more minute until thickened. Reserve half for serving.
• Line the base of a 20cm springform tin with baking paper that extends about 2-3cm up the sides of the tin. This will prevent the liquid from seeping out.
• Pour the other half of the goo mixture into the tin. Sprinkle over half of the chopped toasted walnuts.
• Peel, halve and core the pears, then slice them into 0.5cm pieces. Arrange the pears in concentric circles, slightly overlapping, in the tin. Tuck the remaining roughly chopped walnuts into any gaps.
• Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan.
• To make the cake in a stand mixer or by hand, cream together the butter and sugars. Add in the eggs, one by one, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter with the paddle attachment. Grind the remaining 20g of toasted walnuts and stir in. Finally, stir through the milk and double cream.
• OR
• To mix in the food processor, blitz the walnuts with the caster sugar until finely ground, then add the dark brown sugar and butter and blend until aerated and smooth.
• Add in the eggs, one by one, scraping down the bowl as you go. Sift together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, then add to the bowl. Finally, add the milk and double cream.
• Spread the cake batter evenly over the pears. Bake for 45-50 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 5-10 mins. Place a plate underneath, then flip the cake over. Carefully remove the tin and paper. Serve warm with the reserved goo and ice cream or pouring cream.
• Leftovers should always be reheated!

Taken from Sift: The Elements of Great Baking by Nicola Lamb, published by Ebury at £30. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £26.99 (incl. p&p), call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.

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