Pear and Saffron Upside-Down Cake

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There’s something nostalgic and heart-warming, about an upside-down cake. A custard-yellow sponge sitting atop – or rather underneath – syrupy pineapple rings. And occasionally, if you’re lucky, a couple of glace cherries. It’s often reminiscent of simpler times, of the seventies and school lunches. Our modern version, with saffron and sliced pears, is better suited to a dinner party than the dinner hall, but contains all the same comforting nostalgia that we often crave.

SERVES 6–8

100g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

400g tin of pear halves

100g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

a pinch of fine salt

100g caster sugar

2 medium eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

vanilla ice cream or custard, to serve

For the caramel

50g caster sugar

50g unsalted butter

6 threads of saffron

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas Mark 6. Grease and line the base of a deep 20cm cake tin with baking paper (don’t use a loose-bottomed tin, as the syrup will seep out).

Start with the caramel. Place the sugar in a small saucepan and cook over a low heat until it has melted. Don’t stir, only swirl the pan until it turns golden brown. Stir in the butter and saffron threads, then pour into the base of the prepared cake tin.

Drain the tin of pear halves, reserving the juice for later. Cut each pear half into slices and neatly arrange them on top of the caramel, overlapping them slightly.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.

In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, flour mixture and 3 tablespoons of the tinned pear juice. Pour the batter over the top of the pears in the tin.

Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden brown on top and the sponge springs back to the touch.

Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then loosen the cake from the sides with a knife and turn upside-down onto a serving plate. Peel off the paper and serve warm with ice cream or custard.