Pear & Walnut Upside-Down Cake with Blue Cheese White Chocolate Ganache
A deliciously moist brown sugar and walnut cake, with creamy dollops of blue cheese white chocolate ganache, topped with caramel covered Bosc pears.
I know what all you blue cheese haters are thinking, but this cake sounds a lot wilder than it is. Pear, walnut, and blue cheese are a tried and tested pairing, so I wanted to see it in a dessert. The often overpowering blue cheese "funk” gets toned down quite a bit with the white chocolate ganache, so it’s really more for depth of flavor. Give it a shot!
Servings: 12 | Prep Time: 50 minutes + 1 hour chilling | Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes
Heat-safe bowl
Small saucepan
Plastic wrap
Mandoline / sharp knife
12” cast-iron skillet
Hand-mixer / stand-mixer
Blue Cheese White Chocolate Ganache:
5 oz. white chocolate
5 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1 ¼ oz. Gorgonzola crumbles
Pear Topping:
3 medium Bosc pears, peeled and cored
¼ cup butter
2 ½ tbsp flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp water
½ tsp vanilla
Upside-Down Cake:
2 cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
⅔ cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
¾ cup butter, room temp
1 ⅓ cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
½ cup walnuts, chopped
Blue Cheese White Chocolate Ganache (15 minutes + 1 hour chilling)
Chop the white chocolate into small pieces and place into a heat-safe bowl. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the cream and gorgonzola crumbles and heat over medium-low until the cheese has fully melted and the cream is just coming to a boil.
Pour the cream mixture over the white chocolate and let sit 5 minutes.
Stir the ganache in one direction until smooth. If any of the chocolate is not completely melted, heat in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds and stir, repeating until fully melted.
Cover with plastic wrap directly touching the ganache and chill in the fridge until firm, about 1 hour.
Caramel Pear Topping (15 minutes)
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the pears lengthwise to about ⅛” thickness. Set the longer pieces in one pile and the shorter pieces in another pile.
In a 12” cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
Whisk in the flour, followed by the sugars, water, and vanilla, and bring to a simmer.
Reduce temperature to low and carefully place the shorter pear slices into the center of the pan, fanning them in one direction.
Place the longer pear slices on top of the shorter slices all the way out to the edge of the pan, fanning in the same direction.
It’s okay to crowd the pears a bit because they will shrink during baking.
Turn the stove off and immediately prepare the upside-down cake batter.
Upside-Down Cake (20 minutes prep + 35 to 40 minutes baking)
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a bowl or measuring cup, combine the milk and vanilla. Set aside.
In a large bowl, with a hand-mixer or stand-mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar on high until the butter has increased in volume, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing in between until just incorporated.
Add one third of the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.
Add in half of the milk and mix until just combined.
Repeat, alternating the flour with the milk, and ending with the flour.
Gently fold in the chopped walnuts.
Scoop 1/2 teaspoon sized dollops of chilled ganache and drop them into the batter, folding gently to distribute throughout.
Scoop the cake batter into the cast-iron pan on top of the pears, being careful not to displace the fruit too much. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Transfer the cast-iron pan to the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven and let rest just until the caramel has stopped audibly bubbling, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Run a knife around the edge of the cake to release it.
Place a serving plate upside down on the skillet and, with oven mitts on, carefully flip the cake over.
Gently lift the skillet off the cake, being mindful of hot caramel that may drip out.
If any fruit has stuck to the pan, gently scrape it out and return to the top of the cake while it’s still hot.
Let cool and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Be sure to check out my Best Practices page for tips on how to make this recipe yourself. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions and feel free to tag me on Instagram @made.by.shade if you make it!
-Shade