Happy Thanksgiving!

Ingredients

2 tbsp cold unsalted butter

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla powder

2/3 cup milk

Since I was born and raised in Europe, I did not grow up having Thanksgiving. But after I moved to the US, I have been fortunate enough to have celebrated it for the last 9 years of my life! I have come to truly relish this holiday for many reasons: the food, the road trips, and most importantly, the friends and family. I have yet to host a Thanksgiving dinner, but I still hold on to a tradition of mine, even as a guest: I always bake something I have never baked before to share with my hosts. This year, I picked this lovely cake from the November issue of Family Circle. Hope you enjoy!

Pear Upside-Down Cake

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add cold butter to a 10" springform pan. Heat in oven until melted, about 3 minutes. Swirl pan to coat bottom with melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar.

Fan slices of pear over sugar overlapping slightly and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, baking powder, salt, vanilla and cardamom. Beat softened butter in a large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat 2 minutes, until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

On low speed, beat in flour mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Spoon batter over pears and spread to pan edge with a spatula. Wrap bottom of pan with foil and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until you can insert and remove a toothpick clean. 

Cool for 5 minutes and invert cake onto a plate. Wait to cool and serve slightly warm with vanilla ice cram, if desired.

Makes 16 servings. Prep time: 30 minutes. Bake time: 55-60 minutes.