Apple-Pear Skillet Upside-Down Ginger Spice Cake

Originally Posted on Thursday, December 28, 2006

Apple-Pear Skillet Upside-Down Ginger Spice Cake

We received a lovely fruit basket full of aplles, pears and tangerines for Christmas, so...I made this recipe up, although it was inspired by both Isa's Gingerbread Cupcake recipe and a cast iron skillet Apple pie recipe from the recipe book that came with my new Martha Stewart Cast Iron Skillet that Mom gave me for Christmas.

Apple-Pear Skillet Upside-Down Ginger Spice Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
For the topping:
3 apples and 2 pears- peeled, cored & thinly sliced
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/2 cup vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance)

Using a mixer, mix margarine, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves until crumbly. Hand mix with the apples and pears. Arrange the apple and pear mixture in the bottom of a cast iron skillet and bake for 15-20 minutes while you prep the spice cake batter.

For the batter:
Sift together dry ingredients in a large bowl:
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Mix together wet ingredients in a seperate bowl:
8 oz unsweetened applesauce
1/2 + 1/3 cup maple syrup (I use grade B)
1/4 cup soy milk
2 Tbsp Soy yogurt

Mix together wet and dry ingredients and pour over the apple-pear mixture already in the oven. Continue to bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool before tring to remove from skillet.

Serves 12