005 / 75 · Centerpieces with a twist

Parsnip-Pear Upside-Down Supper Cake

Name: Parsnip-Pear Upside-Down Supper Cake
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 1 savory 20 cm/8 in round cake, cut into 8 wedges
Ingredients: 200 g/7 oz prepared firm pear, thinly sliced; 10 g butter (2 teaspoons), for tin base; 8 g sugar (2 teaspoons), for pear layer; 250 g/9 oz peeled parsnip, coarsely grated; 10 ml olive oil (2 teaspoons), for skillet; 180 g all-purpose flour (about 1½ cups); 7 g baking powder (about 1¾ teaspoons); 3 g fine salt (½ teaspoon); 0.5 g black pepper (¼ teaspoon); 2 large eggs, 100 g without shells; 100 ml milk (⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon); 40 ml olive oil (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons), for batter; 100 g/3½ oz cheddar, grated

1 savory 20 cm/8 in round cake, cut into 8 wedges · Active 35 min · Cook 1 hr 5 min · Total 1 hr 55 min

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Pear slices form the top of a savory cake rather than a sweet glaze. Grated parsnip and cheddar give the crumb enough character for small supper wedges.

Jump to ingredients

Savory pear-topped parsnip cake with one of eight wedges separated.

Cook the parsnip before mixing

A brief sauté softens the grated root and drives off some moisture. Spread it out to cool before it meets the eggs. The cake should carry distinct fine strands, not dense wet clumps.

Give the pear a simple pattern

Overlap the slices lightly in a single layer. Extra fruit stacked underneath would release more juice and make unmolding difficult. The measured butter helps the pear release; a parchment base provides a second practical safeguard.

Ingredients

200 g/7 oz prepared firm pear, thinly sliced
10 g butter (2 teaspoons), for tin base
8 g sugar (2 teaspoons), for pear layer
250 g/9 oz peeled parsnip, coarsely grated
10 ml olive oil (2 teaspoons), for skillet
180 g all-purpose flour (about 1½ cups)
7 g baking powder (about 1¾ teaspoons)
3 g fine salt (½ teaspoon)
0.5 g black pepper (¼ teaspoon)
2 large eggs, 100 g without shells
100 ml milk (⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon)
40 ml olive oil (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons), for batter
100 g/3½ oz cheddar, grated

Set out

Oven, 20 cm/8 in solid-base round cake tin, usable depth at least 6 cm/2⅓ in and capacity at least 1.8 L, Parchment round, Skillet, Grater, Knife and board, Two bowls and whisk, Spatula, Cooling rack and serving plate, Oven mitts and foil, Food thermometer, Refrigerator

Allergens

Wheat, Milk, Egg. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

Heat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line the tin base with parchment, spread the 10 g butter over it and scatter the 8 g sugar. Arrange all the pear slices in one thin overlapping layer.
Heat 10 ml oil in the skillet. Cook the grated parsnip over medium heat 8–10 minutes, stirring, until softened without pooled water. Spread in a bowl to cool for 10 minutes while measuring the other ingredients.
Mix flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. In the second bowl, whisk eggs, milk and 40 ml oil. Fold wet into dry, then fold in all the cooled parsnip and cheddar. Scrape the thick batter over the pear and level it without compressing. Do not taste raw batter.
Bake 45–55 minutes. The center must spring back, a skewer must show no wet floury batter, and the center must reach at least 165°F/74°C. A wet seam needs further baking even if the top looks brown; cover loosely with foil if needed.
Rest in the tin 15 minutes. Loosen the side, cover with a serving plate and carefully invert using oven mitts. Lift away the tin and parchment. If a pear slice sticks, replace it with a clean spatula. Cut 8 wedges.

Bring it

Carry the fully unmolded cake in a rigid lidded carrier, kept hot at 140°F/60°C or above or cold at 40°F/4°C or below. The combined unprotected journey and display window is 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C.

Finish at the gathering

A cold wedge can be served from a chilled tray. For warm service, ask for a 325°F/165°C oven and allow 20–25 minutes for loosely covered wedges to reach 165°F/74°C; invert the cake at home, not on a crowded host counter.

Make it yours

Cut 8 supper wedges or divide each into two smaller buffet pieces. The pear pattern is decoration enough for a winter table, without frosting or seasonal words.

Ingredient labels

Flour, cheddar, butter, milk and eggs supply the stated allergens. Check baking powder and substitutions for other ingredients.

A useful detail

The 115-minute total includes preparation, the brief skillet stage, cooling the parsnip, up to 55 minutes baking and the 15-minute settling period. Prepare dry ingredients while the parsnip cools; do not rush the final rest.

Another way

Use 200 g prepared firm apple in the same single base layer.
Use 100 g mature Gouda instead of cheddar; retain its milk-allergen labeling.

Keep it well

Refrigerate shallow covered wedges promptly at 40°F/4°C or below. Use within 3 days or an earlier cheese deadline, following the Bring it handling limits. Reheat the portions needed to 165°F/74°C. The pear top softens after chilling; this is a perishable supper cake.