peaches and cream....and a pear cake

I had a hard time taking photos yesterday (honestly, these are the best ones!).  It has been so foggy here lately that my outside photos aren't really great, so I took some inside photos too, that weren't really great, but I did get Simon (the cat) into the photo shoot!  I got this cute peach dress at Wildman, a vintage store in Lawrence, for my birthday (from the fiance)! 

 I also got this adorable flower bracelet from my friend Nancy!  everyone was ssssooooo generous, I can't wait to show you everything that I got! 

 I thought that Simon and I matched , both in our peaches and cream!  

outfit details: dress: vintage from Wildman, tights: Walmart, Belt: thrifted, boots: thrifted, bracelet: Birthday gift!

I don't think that I mentioned it, but I made my own birthday cake for my party.  It was a chocolate pear upside down cake.. and although it turned out a little crazy looking (it flew out of the pan onto my kitchen counter and I had to piece it back together)  it was really tasty!    I got the recipe from my mom, but this seems to be the same one.... it is totally deliciopus and a little bit of a twist on the classic cake!  enjoy....yummmm!

Ingredients

Pears:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 Bosc pears, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored

Cake:

• 1/3 cup milk
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup finely ground toasted almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch-process), plus additional for dusting
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

For the pears: Lightly butter a 9-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and butter the paper. Put the butter, brown sugar, and lemon zest and juice in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until melted. Add the pears, cover, and simmer, turning once, until the pears are soft and juicy, about 4 minutes. Pour the pears and their syrup into a strainer set over a saucepan. Set the syrup and 1 pear quarter aside. Arrange remaining pears in the prepared pan, stem ends toward center, rounded sides down, and 1/4-inch from the side. Chop reserved pear and use just enough to fill center.

For the cake: Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Scald milk in a small saucepan; keep warm. Whisk flour with almonds, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and gradually add granulated sugar; continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl. Add cocoa powder and vanilla and beat 1 minute. While mixing at medium-low speed, add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

While mixing slowly, add the flour mixture in 4 additions; turn off the mixer and fold in the hot milk with a rubber spatula. Spread the batter over the pears, taking care not to disturb them. Tap the pan lightly on the counter to settle the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes, then invert the cake onto a serving plate. Cool briefly, carefully peel the parchment paper from the top, and then cool completely.

To finish the cake: Boil the reserved pear syrup until slightly thick and lightly brush the top of the cake with syrup. Whisk a few tablespoons of cocoa powder with an equal amount of confectioners' sugar, and sift over the cake; serve.