Pear Upside Down Cake is the most delicious gingerbread cake made with fresh pears on the base.
The gingerbread is sticky but not too sweet and the soft caramelised pears melt in your mouth.
Life is Sweet is the fourth book by Tarek Malouf, founder of The Hummingbird Bakery. The Hummingbird Bakery was instrumental in popularising the sort of high-quality bakes, loved by Americans.
Introduced first to London through the bakeries and then to the rest of the UK, through the books.
I already have the Cake Days baking book from The Hummingbird Bakery, but I think that Life is Sweet is even better. Let me tell you a little about it.
Review of Life is Sweet
The Chapters
Cakes, simple and more complex includes Gooey Butter Cake, 7Up Pound Cake, Molasses Pecan Crumb Cake, Chocolate Bundt Cake, Tunnel of Fudge Cake and Upside Down Pear Cake
Cupcakes both familiar and unusual including Banana Foster Cupcakes, Tomato Soup Cupcakes, Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes, Honey Cornbread Cupcakes and Mint Julep Cupcakes.
Layer Cakes includes an indulgent Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake, Gingerbread Icebox Cake, Alabama Little Layer Cake, Red Velvet Crepe Cake and Appalachian Stack Cake.
Pies is full of very American Pies including, Lemon Chiffon Pie, Deep-fried Apple Pies, Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie, Vinegar Pie, and New Orleans Prune Pie.
Cookies and Candies provide bite-sized treats such as Soft Molasses Cookies, Black Pepper Cookies (on my list), Vanilla filled Chocolate Cookies, Lemon Drops, Turtle Cookies and Creamy Pecan Pralines.
Traybakes are one of my favourite bakes, how about Coconut Dream Bars, Red Velvet Brownies, Blackberry Limeade Bars, and Texas Tassie Bars.
Pancakes are so easy to make and these lovely flavours are very tempting Black Bottom Pancakes, Pumpkin Pancakes, Cinnamon Pancake Cake and Sally Lunn French Toast.
Top your pies and pancakes with some lovely Ice Cream, Grasshopper Ice Cream, Earl Grey Tea and Chocolate Ice Cream, Fresh Peach Ice Cream and Lemon Custard Ice Cream.
Puddings to delight your sweet tooth include Praline Bread Pudding with Pecan Caramel Sauce, Brownie Pudding and White Chocolate Bread Pudding.
The final chapter features Bread and Savouries, Skillet Cornbread, Crawfish Pie, Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Loaf and Graham Crackers.
The book finishes up with some Baking Essentials about Ingredients, Equipment, Methods and Techniques.
Who is it for?
Pretty much anyone who likes baking and is looking for some different ideas to try.
It’s not aimed at beginner bakers, but follow the instructions and there is no reason why a novice could not achieve good results.
Pros
A wide range of different bakes, each on a little out of the ordinary. Good photographs that let you see what you are aiming for.
Cons
I can’t really think of any cons with this book, it is full of such good things.
The Verdict
I really was beginning to think I had enough baking books, that they were just full of the same sort of recipes.
Life is Sweet has some exciting bakes in it. Recipes that I feel inspired to bake.
Buy Life is Sweet and you won’t be disappointed.
Pear Upside Down Cake
I decided to make the Pear Upside Down Cake. The cake is a soft gingerbread with works so well with the caramelised pears. Serve as a tea time cake or a dessert.
The resulting cake is rich and treacly but not too dense, the pears add a lovely texture to the cake and are not too sweet.
Pear Upside Down Cake is a really delightful bake that works out exactly as it is portrayed in the book.
Serve warm with whipped cream for dessert or eat cold with tea or coffee, either way, you won’t be disappointed.
The Hummingbird Bakery – Life is Sweet
100 original recipes for happy home baking
Published by 4th Estate, Harper Collins
RRP £20
More Cakes with Fruit from Farmersgirl Kitchen
Peach and Rhubarb Upside Down Cake
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Upside Down Pear Cake
Ingredients
For the caramelised pears
- 6 large ripe pears peeled, cored ad quartered lengthways
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 80 g caster sugar
- 130 ml Kentucky bourbon or whisky
For Cake
- 195 g plain flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 160 g unsalted butter
- 75 g dark muscovado sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 170 g pure cane molasses such as Meridian
- 3 tbsp boiling water
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175C (350C), Gas mark 4. Line the tin with non-stick baking parchment.
To make the caramelised pears, mix the pears with the lemon juice. In a large frying pan, melt the butter and sprinkle with half the caster sugar. Put the pear quarters into the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until brown on one side. Turn and cook for a further 5 minutes until the other side is brown. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove the pear quarters and set aside to cool slightly.
- Add the bourbon and the rest of the caster sugar to the pan and cook and stir frequently for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes syrupy. Pour this syrup into the baking tin and tip the tin to spread evenly over the bottom of the tin.
- Start to arrange the pears from one corner so that they cover the bottom of the tin and are facing the same direction. Set aside.
To make the cake, sift together the flour, spices and salt in a bowl.
- Using a freestanding electric mixer with paddle attachment or hand-held electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar together for around 5 minutes on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time on a lower speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Only beat until just Incorporated. Add the molasses and beat for a few moments longer to mix.
- In a small bowl, add the boiling water to the bicarbonate of soda and set aside. Add half the flour mixture to the creamed mixture on low speed. then add the water and bicarbonate of soda and the rest of the flour mixture and mix until well Incorporated It will look like the mixture has split, but that i correct.
- Scrape the mixture into the tin on top of the arranged pears and bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 165C (325F) Gas mark 3 and bake for 10-15 minutes longer. The top should bounce bake when lightly touched. Cool in the tin for 1 hour, then run a knife around the edges of the cake. Place a tray over the top of the tin and carefully(but quickly) turn upside down.
Janice, this looks like a beautiful book, thanks for this review. I agree that there are too many baking books, so I'm also looking for something a bit different, and this sounds fantastic. Gingerbread is one of my favourites and I love pears so I can't wait to try this recipe. Thank you.
Thanks, the cake was a great succes.
Too many to mention BUT at a push probably carrot or chocolate or lemon drizzle or fruit or banana or cheese cake 🙂
Great choices
Hard to choose just one, but I do love a very simple Cherry Cake! This pear cake looks lovely, as does the book, it's turned out just like theirs, lovely!
Thanks, I was pleased with how it turned out.
I already have the hummingbird bakery cookbook which is great – especially love the oat & raisin cookie and peanutbutter cookie recipe. Liked your review and the book sounds really interesting, full of new ideas of things i'd like to bake. Thanks and good luck everyone! 🙂
Sorry didn't realise you had to say your favourite cake to make – the raffle copter widget is being funny on my phone. Not sure if my entry registered or not. Anyways, i love to make my triple-layer chocolate cake with caramel icing. Always a celebration cake winner! 🙂
No problem. Only your comment has registered Zoe. Good luck.
Any.. I love cake so would be very hard to choose…
wow, now that is a most stunning cake!, it looks so dark and rich and I bet the combination of ginger and pear is superb. lovely review too Janice x
Thanks Dom.
This book looks like another winner from hummingbird. In terms of a favourite bake, that's a hard one…Probably creme egg brownies which are 'in season' at the moment & always go down a storm when I make them!
Too sweet for me, but I know they are popular. Good luck.
Good to see a recipe from another HummingBird book. Do you have Home Sweet home? Would you care to join our Bakealong? http://talesofpiglingbland.com/2015/02/28/home-sweet-home-bakealong-peach-cobbler-but-banana-and-chocolate/
I'm afraid I don't have Home Sweet Home, Gill. just this one and Cake Days
I love a loaf cake. Simple and effective.
Ahh, tomato soup cupcakes. I have heard of these before, but I'm not convinced – could be because I've never liked tinned tomato soup. Another good review Janice and as I don't have a Hummingbird book at all, I'm going to try my luck.
Hmmm, my favourite cake – well I can't really say anything else other than chocolate cake!
Never had it in cupcakes, but I have tasted a large cake made with tomato soup, you can't taste the soupiness at all!
If all my attempts at baking came out as well as the one above then I'd never be out of the kitchen! As it is, I have to keep it simple (if I want it to be edible!) and so I stick to a simple weetabix loaf/cake, which is a bit like a tea loaf – a slice is really nice with some butter on and a cup of tea 🙂
How kind, I do spend a lot of time in the kitchen! That Weetabix cake is good too.
Chocolate Fudge Cake
Delicious
My fav cake is a Victoria sponge with lashings of cream and fresh strawberries
Banana Loaf Cake is my favourite to make, easy to do and can be eaten anywhere at anytime!
i love all cakes but carrot is prob my favourite
I love cherry tart. Especially the ones with Sour cherries! 🙂
Carrot Cake is my fav its lovely
Ginger cake from Imperial War Museum cook book….it's amazing!
White chocolate cheese cake
Fruit Cake
Carrot Cake
I love a coffee and walnut cake!
I love lemon drizzle cake, but any cake is good!
banana and walnut cake
Probably carrot cake x
Lemon drizzle cake
My favourite cake is probably a good Victoria sponge… can't beat it!
I love carrot cake and I love making trifle cupcakes from The Hummingbird Bakery's last book!
Which book was that Jemma?
Sticky ginger cake
Coconut fairy cakes
Victoria sponge cake.
Kelly glen.
Chocolate Cake xxx
Chocolate cake
It would have to be a good old Victoria Sponge or an indulgent carrot cake topped with a thick layer of smooth soft cheese icing!
oooh that looks totally delicious! love the hummingbird bakery
Pineapple upside downcake
Carrot cake is my favourite x
Oh too many, but my favourite ones are something with a little cinnamon or ginger in them.
A classic carrot cake made with honey!
I am a big fan of their red velvet cupcakes so I reckon I would like this.
There are a lot of new red velvet variations in the book Bintu
Carrot Cake!
AShleigh
Lemon drizzle
Cheesecake is my fave x
chocolate, chocolate and chocolate. Did I mention chocolate?!
Was that chocolate for you then? 😉
Love fruit cake
This cake looks amazing I love the way the pears are arranged. My fav cake has to be chocolate fudge cake.
Thank you, it really wasn't difficult at all and very effective. Chocolate fudge sounds good.
Lemon drizzle cake!
i love carrot and ginger cake that i have made from the hummingbird cake days book- so moist and tasty….not seen this new book that is in the giveaway….but would be a lovely addition to my collection.
Must have a look for that one Suzanne, I have a copy of Cake Days
Has to be a (good) carrot cake
Either lemon drizzle or my mother in laws high tea cake