We got a sweet cast iron skillet for our wedding. The beauty of this heavy piece of cookware is that it can go from burner to oven. I had read about depression era skillet cakes that used other fruit, including peaches, but since I am up to my ears in pears (still), I decided to try with that.
For the “cake” part, I used this amazing vegan recipe from post punk kitchen for cornbread. It is dense and moist, and I happened to have some local cornmeal on hand.
Start by peeling your pears:
Then slice them thinly:
Heat up 3 tablespoons of “butter” and a quarter cup of sugar in the skillet:
Line up your pears so they cover the bottom of the skillet and let them cook on medium heat for 10 minutes:
Start scooping your batter on top of the pears and use a spatula to spread it evenly:
Throw it in a preheated oven for 30 minutes:
This is what it looks like done in the skillet:
To flip your cake, let it cool for a few minutes then put a big plate face down on the skillet and flip:
This cake is perfect for a healthy dessert or a hearty breakfast:
