Use a dark amber-coloured, pure maple syrup and your best mustard for a sweet hint of spicy bite that is unforgettably delicious. The yellow mustard offers a boost of colour and flavour to the cake. Serve with softly whipped cream with a hint of maple to finish the dish.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a small saucepan, heat maple syrup and brown sugar over medium-high heat until begins to bubble. Boil gently for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Pour into greased 9 x 2-inch cake pan. Sprinkle with pecans and mustard seeds.
Peel, quarter and core pears. Slice pears into 1/4 inch thick slices, lengthwise. Arrange pears over maple mixture in concentric circles overlapping slightly if necessary; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
In a separate bowls combine flour, ground cardamom, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a small bowl whisk together sour cream and mustard.
Alternately, stir flour mixture and sour cream mixture into butter mixture making 3 additions of flour and 2 of sour cream until combined. Batter will be thick. Spoon batter into cake pan over pears. Using a small palette knife or spatula, smooth batter carefully without moving pears.
Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Invert cake pan onto serving plate and turn over, removing cake pan. Scrape any topping from pan onto cake.
You could substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour for the regular all-purpose flour for a gluten-free version of the cake.
Servings 0
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.