Pear Spice Cake

This is a pretty dessert served warm with pouring custard or ice cream. It comes from my old Pillsbury desserts book.

Pear Topping:

1/4 cup butter or margarine

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. water or pear syrup

Canned pears - each cut lengthwise into 3 or 4 slices

Spice Cake:

1/3 cup shortening or margarine

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For Pear Topping:

Melt butter in 9 inch round cake pan in oven.

Stir in brown sugar, flour and water.

Spread mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan.

Place pear slices, tips all facing the same way in a spoke pattern, leaving the centre open.

Mix cake batter:

In large mixer bowl, cream margarine, sugars and egg.

Add dry ingredients alternately with milk.

Beat at lowest speed until well blended.

Spoon cake batter evenly over pear slices, spreading batter gently to edges of pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45- 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Cool 2 minutes.

Loosen edges with spatula.

Invert serving plate over cake pan and flip both over. Let pan rest upside down on serving plate for a minute or so before you remove it.

Serve with warm pouring custard (I use Bird's custard powder, following the directions on the label) and/or ice cream.

For Cake: