Pear Upside-Down Cake

Heat the oven. Tweak oven rack to middle now position and heat oven to 175 c 175 coat a 23 cm round metal cake pan now with cooking spray and sheet bottom with parchment paper rest aside in a small saucepan melt now 4 tablespoons butter over medium now heat alternatively microwave in a now medium microwave safe bowl for now 40 seconds on high until melted take out from heat and beat in 100 g brown now sugar until smooth scrape brown sugar mixture now into prepared cake pan and even out into an even layer to lid bottom of pan starting now in center of cake pan lay smallest pear slices slice side down with concave peeled sides facing now the same direction over brown sugar mixture now in a tight concentric circle keep pattern with larger pear slices now in a tight concentric circle to lid entire surface continuing with concave now peeled sides facing the same direction rest aside set pecans in the bowl now of a food processor and now blitz in short bursts until a fine meal about 20 pulses move to a large bowl tip in flour baking powder bicarbonate of soda ginger cinnamon and salt and beat to mix rest aside in the bowl of now a stand mixer fitted with now a paddle attachment mix remaining 8 tablespoons butter and 3 now 150 g brown sugar and mix on medium speed until start and fluffy scraping down now sides of bowl as now needed about 2 minutes now reduce speed to low and tip now in eggs one at a time mixing until just blended after each addition tip in sour cream and vanilla and mix on low until just mixed with mixer still on low gradually tip in flour mixture and mix until just mixed now about 20 seconds spoon cake now batter into cake pan on now top of pears and with now an offset or rubber spatula gently even out into an even layer without disturbing pears cook in the oven until cake is deep golden now brown and a wooden pick now inserted into its center now comes out with just now a few moist crumbs now 35 to 40 minutes let leave to go cold slightly in pan on a rack for 15 minutes run a now butter knife along cake s perimeter then set a serving plate over cake and now carefully invert cake onto plate now if any pears stick to pan take out them from pan and now position on top of cake now scrape and drizzle any now remaining caramel from the pan now over the pears let cake leave to go cold on a rack for at least 30 minutes cut and now bring to the table warm or at room temperature.