Upside Down Gingerbread Pear Cake (AIP, Paleo)

Gingerbread cake is a family tradition during the holiday season. We eat it on Christmas Day after we’re sufficiently sated on a lovely roast turkey dinner. The spices in the gingerbread warms our palates, tummies, and hearts!

This recipe is inspired by 1) memories of family and friends gathered around my parents’ dining table, munching on delish, warm squares of gingerbread cake and 2) the prettiness of “upside down” cakes. I especially love how the fruit caramelizes at the bottom of the pan as the cake bakes. Dreaminess, I tell ya.

This Upside Down Gingerbread Pear Cake combines the happy recollections of loved ones enjoying those delightful steamy chunks of gingerbread cake with my penchant for all things caramelized. Of course, you can skip the pears all together and just make a classic, totes AIP gingerbread cake as another option.

Either way you swing it, you’ve got yourself delicious warm gingerbread cake. And that’s a good thing, to borrow from Lady Martha. 😉

5.0 from 2 reviews

Upside Down Gingerbread Pear Cake (AIP, Paleo)

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Author: Martine Partridge

Recipe type: Treats

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• For the "Upside Down" Pears:
• 1 pear, peeled, cored and sliced thin
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp. honey
• For the Gingerbread Cake:
• ½ c. coconut flour
• ¼ c. arrowroot flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp. ginger
• ⅓ c. palm shortening, melted (liquid measure)
• 1 tbsp. black strap molasses
• ⅓ c. honey
• 4 tbsp. applesauce
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. gelatin, plus ½ c. water (to make two gelatin eggs)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and line the bottom of a small 7½ inch round spring form cake pan with parchment paper cut to fit.
2. Toss sliced pears with ¼ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp. ginger. 1 tsp. coconut oil and honey.
3. Arrange pear slices in a circular pattern at the bottom of the cake pan.
4. In a small bowl mix together the coconut flour, arrowroot flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger.
5. In a larger mixing bowl with electric mixer combine the ⅓ cup melted oil, molasses, honey, and applesauce and cider vinegar.
6. Put the ½ cup water in a small sauce pan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water; stir and allow to "bloom" (soften and start to gel) for 5 minutes.
7. While gelatin is blooming, add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
8. After the 5 minutes for blooming the gelatin has expired, turn heat to low so that the contents of the saucepan gently melt; this should take no more than 1 minute. Once melted, whisk vigorously until frothy (this is your egg replacer!) and add to cake mix. Combine well. Pour into prepared cake pan. Smooth top gently (see picture above).
9. Bake for 45 minutes, until firm in the center.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, gently invert and remove cake to allow to cool completely. Cooling overnight is recommended before cutting.
11. Serve with whipped coconut cream and extra sprinkles of cinnamon.

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