Caramelized Pear and Almond Upside-Down Cake

At last I spotted d'Anjou pears at our local supermarket !!! Yup , these pears only appears during fall/winter here . Since I got this book ( from the library , of course ! ) and been waiting for that pears for nearly 3 weeks , I'd been planning to use Bartlett pears initially but too lazy to bake cake at that time :P I'd set aside 3 pears for this cake just in case 2 won't be enough to cover the bottom heh! I'm planning to reduce the brown sugar for caramelizing the pears but didn't and added 1/2 tsp of grated lemon zest . While waiting for the caramelized pears to cool down a little bit , and looking at them , told myself , I guess there will be more than enough - let's eat some of that then hee hee . Uhm , I'd eaten too much I guess tsk tsk , so when I transferred the pieces in the pan , you guess it , not enough to cover the bottom :D So , just don't mind the bald spot , okay ? hahahaha The author recommends  to use a well-seasoned 9-inch cast iron skillet  but since I don't have it I used my 9-inch springform pan . Recipe adapted from Diane Rossen Worthington's book .

1 cup ( 4 oz , 112 grams ) blanched almonds
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
6 T ( 84 grams ) unsalted butter , at room temperature
1 cup sugar ( I reduced it to 2/3 cup )
2 large eggs
1/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 T ( 28 grams ) unsalted butter
3 T packed light brown sugar
2 Anjou pears , cored , and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

*Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C . In a food processor fitted with the metal blade , process the almonds until finely ground , almost like bread crumbs . In a medium bowl , combine the ground almonds , flour , and baking powder . Stir to blend .

* With an electric mixer on medium speed or in a food processor fitted with a metal blade , beat the butter until softened . Gradually beat in the sugar and continue to beat the mixture until it is thick and pale in color . Add the eggs , one at a time , and beat until incorporated . Gradually beat in the flour mixture and the orange juice , mixing just to combine . Set aside .

* To prepare the pears : In a well-seasoned 9-inch cast iron skillet , melt the butter over medium-high heat . Add the brown sugar , stir to dissolve , and cook until bubbly . Add the pear slices in a single layer . Cook in the syrup for about 2 minutes per side , or until both sides are lightly caramelized . Use tongs to move them around . Remove from heat and let cool fro 3 minutes .

* Pour the batter over the pear mixture and gently spread it around to cover the pears . Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean . Let cool for 10 minutes , then invert it into a cake plate . Serve warm or at room temperature .

Bald Spot Alert !!!!