PEAR , SAFFRON AND CHOCOLATE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

This cake means a lot for me. I baked it on a wonderful holiday in Fano (a little city on the Adriatic Cost), for a group of veeeery veeeeery lovely friends (I love you guys!) which demanded for it. The gave me freedom of choice on the type of cake and ingredients. So, because of the father of one of those was curious about tasting saffron in something sweet, I opted for a classic combination of pears and saffron, adding chocolate to jazz all up.
The cake batter is the same of the "upside-down pear cake", only the topping is changed.




Cake batter: 1 1/2 cups flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 cup milk.

Topping: 2 pears; 3 packets of saffron; 2 Tbsp sugar; 30 g butter; 100g dark chocolate.





Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put 4 tablespoons butter in a 9-inch round baking pan. Place the pan in the oven just long enough to melt the butter. Remove pan from oven; scatter 1/2 cup brown sugar evenly over the melted butter.
Cook the pears, cut into slices to the length, with butter and sugar, for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add saffron.
Arrange the slices to cover the bottom of the pan
In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat remaining 6 tablespoons butter until creamy. Add granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar; beat until well combined. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.