Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
You can also use peaches or apples in place of the pears in this recipe.
The Pears 3 Tbs. butter ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed 2 large pears (such as Bartlett) or 4 small pears (such as Seckle)
The Almond Cake ¼ lb. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature ¾ cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. vanilla ¼ tsp. almond extract 3 eggs at room temperature 2/3 cup almonds, finely ground (blanched, if available) 1 cup flour 1 tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat the 3 Tbs. butter with the brown sugar in a 10 inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until the sugar is melted and smooth, then remove the pan from the heat. Peel, halve, and core the pears. Setting aside one-half a large pear or one small pear, cut the other pears lengthwise into slices about ¼” thick. Overlap the slices in the sugared pan, going around the outside. Slice the remaining pear crosswise and fan it into the center.
For the cake, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the vanilla and almond extract. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth. Stir in the nuts, followed by the remaining dry ingredients. Spoon the batter over the fruit and smooth it out with an offset spatula.
Bake in the center of the oven until the cake is golden and springy when pressed with a fingertip, 35-40 minutes. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then set a cake plate on top of the pan, grasp both the plate and the pan tightly, and turn it over. Carefully ease the pan off the cake. If any fruits have stuck to the pan, simply pry them off and return them to the cake.
