Entertaining is easy with this moist and aromatic dessert. Enjoy in the cooler seasons of the year.

Topping
1/4 cup  butter, melted
1/4 cup  brown sugar
3  pears, cored, peeled and sliced thin or 28 oz can pears, drained

Cake
1/4 cup  butter, softened
1/2 cup  brown sugar
2  eggs
1 cup  applesauce or pumpkin puree
1/2 cup  molasses
1 1/2 cup  Highwood Crossing Organic Muffin and Pancake Mix or 1 ½ cup

Highwood Crossing Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

plus 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tsp  ground ginger
1 tsp  ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp  ground cloves

1/ 4 tsp  salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

To make the topping, pour the butter into the bottom of a 8×8“or 9” cake pan. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan. Lay pears on top, cut side up, cutting them to fit if needed.

To make cake, cream butter and sugar, then add eggs. Beat well. Stir in applesauce and molasses. In a separate bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients and stir into above mixture.

Spoon batter over the pears. Set cake on a baking sheet in case the batter mix spills over the pan edge. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a tester inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Run a knife around the edges of the cake and invert onto a serving platter. Leave the pan inverted for 5 minutes to allow the topping to drip down.

Makes 8-9 large servings and 12-16 small to average servings.

Makes approximately 8-9 Servings