Pear Upside-Down Cake

Name: Pear Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients: ["9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided, plus more", "3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour", "3 tablespoons coarse yellow cornmeal or polenta", "1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder", "1/4 teaspoon kosher salt", "1 cup sugar, divided", "2 medium pears (about 1 pound)", "1 teaspoon vanilla extract", "2 large eggs, separated", "1/2 cup whole milk", "Whipped cream or caramel gelato (optional)", "An 8\"-diameter round cake pan with 2\""-high sides""]"

1 ingredients

1 steps

Ingredients

["9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided, plus more", "3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour", "3 tablespoons coarse yellow cornmeal or polenta", "1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder", "1/4 teaspoon kosher salt", "1 cup sugar, divided", "2 medium pears (about 1 pound)", "1 teaspoon vanilla extract", "2 large eggs, separated", "1/2 cup whole milk", "Whipped cream or caramel gelato (optional)", "An 8\"-diameter round cake pan with 2\""-high sides""]"

Directions

1

["Preheat oven to 350\u00b0 F. Butter pan; line bottom with a parchment-paper round. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Stir 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high. Boil syrup without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until sugar turns dark amber, 8-10 minutes. Remove pan from heat; add 1 tablespoon butter (caramel will bubble vigorously) and whisk until smooth. Pour caramel into prepared cake pan and swirl to coat bottom.", "Peel, halve, and core the pears. Place flat on a work surface and cut lengthwise into 1/8\"-thick slices. Layer slices over caramel