Ahead of time, prepare brown butter to use in the cake batter: Melt ½ cup of unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally to make sure the butter is cooking evenly. As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. The color will progress to a toasty brown. Once you smell the nutty aroma and the butter is the color of graham crackers, take off the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Refrigerate until solid but still soft and leave at room temperature when ready to prepare the cake batter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray an 8-inch cake pan and set aside.

To make the topping: Combine butter, brown sugar, cardamom, and Amaretto in a saucepan over low heat until ingredients are melted together. Remove from heat and pour into cake pan. Arrange pears over the brown sugar mixture, cut side down. Set aside.

To make the cake: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the prepared butter (at room temp) and sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the almond extract and eggs, 1 at a time, beating until completely incorporated. Gradually mix in half of the flour mixture. Stir in the milk followed by the rest of the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Scrape the batter on top of the pears in the pan and smooth it into an even layer. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Let cool for about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cake to help loosen it from the pan. Invert a serving plate or cake stand over the pan. Wearing oven mitts, grasp both the pan and the plate and turn them over together. Carefully lift off pan.

Sprinkle toasted sliced almonds over cake and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve cake warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

THE BAKER'S GROVE

524 Broad Street, Shrewsbury
thebakersgrove.com