Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes Saffron-Scented Pear Upside-Down Cake 3.6 (24) 4 Reviews By Martha Stewart Editors Martha Stewart Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter Website An article attributed to "Martha Stewart Editors" indicates when several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The Martha Stewart team aims to teach and inspire readers daily with tested-until-perfected recipes, creative DIY projects, and elevated home and entertaining ideas. They are experts in their fields who research, create, and test the best ways to help readers design the life they want. The joy is in the doing. Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 16, 2019 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Servings: 6 Buttery and sweet, pears are well suited to pastries and other end-of-meal treats. In an exotic twist on upside-down cake, saffron and ginger exert a Middle Eastern influence on Comice pears. Ingredients Vegetable oil, cooking spray Pinch of saffron threads 1 cup sugar ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened 2 Comice pears, (6 to 7 ounces each) 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon salt ¾ cup nonfat buttermilk ¼ cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch square or round cake pan with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment paper, and set aside. Pulse saffron and 1/4 cup sugar in a spice grinder until well combined. Put butter and saffron sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Using a small offset spatula, spread mixture into prepared pan. Peel pears; halve lengthwise, and core. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut pears lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange pears decoratively in pan over saffron-butter mixture. Whisk together flour, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, ground ginger, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in another bowl. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking. Stir in crystallized ginger. Spread batter over pears. Bake until set and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Place a serving platter upside down over pan; flip to unmold cake. Peel off parchment. Print