A moist cake made with nutty, sweet pistachio cream paired with cardamom-orange pears and a pistachio caramel makes this an upside-down cake recipe you’ll be dreaming about.
Nutty pistachios with sweetly spiced pears and just the perfect citrus undertones! This pistachio-pear upside-down cake is everything I want in a dessert and more.
While I love all my upside-down cake experiments equally, this one is really a showstopper. Pistachio cream gives the cake a gorgeous olive green color and an even tastier flavor profile. Paired with crushed pistachios in a buttery smooth caramel sauce and cardamom-orange spiced pears, this cake is one you’ll want to make over and over again.
Pistachio! Orange! Cardamom! These are a few of my favorite flavors, especially when they’re all wrapped up in one stunning little number, like this upside-down cake. Serve this cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and dust it with a sprinkle of crushed pistachios. You can even be extra decadent and hit it with a drizzle of extra pistachio cream. That’s what I did with absolutely zero regrets.
How to make this pistachio-pear upside-down cake
What you need
- Pistachio caramel: You’ll need butter, light brown sugar, heavy cream, and crushed pistachios. I used pistachios that were lightly salted with sea salt. I didn’t find them too salty (but I’m a sucker for sweet and salty caramel), but you can use unsalted pistachios if you don’t want any saltiness in your caramel.
- Pears: You’ll need pears. I used Bartlett pears, but Bosc, D’Anjou, or red pears will work. You’ll coat them in brown sugar, cardamom powder, cornstarch, and orange zest.
- Cake batter: You’ll need cake flour, cardamom powder, baking powder, salt, butter, light brown sugar, egg, pistachio cream, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla extract, and milk.
How to make it
- Step 1: Make the pistachio caramel. Melt butter and add brown sugar. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture deepens slightly in color. Remove from the heat and add heavy cream. Whisk until completely smooth, and then add the crushed pistachios.
- Step 2: Prepare the pears. Add sliced pears to a bowl with cornstarch, brown sugar, cardamom powder, and orange zest. Toss to coat.
- Step 3: Make the batter. Sift the dry ingredients together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, add butter and brown sugar and beat with an electric mixer until completely creamed together. Add the egg, pistachio cream, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Add half the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Add half the milk and beat until just combined. Finish by adding the remaining half of the dry ingredients and the remaining milk, beating until smooth and just combined. Don’t over-mix!
- Step 4: Assemble the cake. Remove the cake pan from the fridge. Pour the pears over the caramel layer and press them gently into an even layer. Spoon the cake batter on top and smooth it into an even layer. Transfer to the oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Step 5: Place a plate over the cake pan and flip to invert the cake onto the plate. If needed, gently tap the bottom of the pan to encourage the release of the cake. If you used parchment paper, it should not have stuck. Carefully pull the cake pan up and peel away and discard the parchment paper.
- Step 6: From there, you’re ready to serve it up! Slice the cake into pieces and serve with ice cream, whipped cream, crushed pistachios, and a drizzle of pistachio cream on top if desired.
Pistachio-Pear Upside-Down Cake
A moist cake made with nutty, sweet pistachio cream paired with cardamom-orange pears and a pistachio caramel makes this an upside-down cake recipe you'll be dreaming about.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 362kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Pistachio caramel layer:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ cup pistachios (lightly crushed; See Note 1)
Pears:
- ¾ pound Bartlett pears (about 2 large pears; peeled, cored, and thinly sliced)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
Batter:
- ¾ cup cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons pistachio cream
- 2 tablespoons orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
For serving:
- Vanilla ice cream (or whipped cream)
- Pistachios (crushed)
- Pistachio cream
Instructions
Make the pistachio caramel:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small pot over medium heat. Once melted, add ½ cup of light brown sugar. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture darkens slightly in color.
- Remove from the heat and add the heavy cream. Whisk until smooth. Add the crushed pistachios to the caramel and stir until combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and smooth it into an even layer. Transfer to the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Prepare the pears:
- Place the sliced pears in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of orange zest, and ¾ teaspoon of ground cardamom. Toss gently to combine. Set aside.
Make the batter:
- Sift ¾ cup of cake flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom, and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt into a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add 4 tablespoons of butter and ½ cup of light brown sugar to a large bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg, 3 tablespoons of pistachio cream, 2 tablespoons of orange juice, 1 teaspoon of orange zest, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.
- Add half the sifted dry ingredients and beat with the mixer until just combined. Add half the milk and beat until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and the remaining milk. Beat until just combined. Don’t over-mix!
Assemble the cake:
- Remove the cake pan from the refrigerator. Pour the sliced pears over the caramel and gently press them into the caramel. Pour the batter over the pears and smooth it into an even layer.
Bake the upside-down cake:
- Transfer the cake to the oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. The cake should still be warm to the touch.
To serve:
- Place a large plate over the cake pan and carefully flip the cake onto the plate. Once the cake has been transferred to the plate, carefully peel away and discard the parchment paper. Cut and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top. Add a sprinkle of crushed pistachios and a drizzle of pistachio cream on top, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Note 1: I use pistachios with sea salt. I don’t find them too salty, but you can use raw, unsalted pistachios if you prefer.
Nutrition
Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Sodium: 239mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin C: 5mg
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Honestly the best dessert I’ve ever eaten! We told the kids it was ‘adult only’ food, only so we could have more
Yay! Thank you!! So happy to hear this!