From America's Test Kitchen:

Topping

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

½ cup packed (3 1/2 ounces) dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

⅛ teaspoon salt

2-3 ripe but firm Bosc pears (8 ounces each)

Cake

1 cup walnuts, toasted

½ cup (2 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

⅛ teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs

1 cup (7 ounces) sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup vegetable oil

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

We strongly recommend baking this cake in a light-colored cake pan with sides that are at least 2 inches tall. If using a dark-colored pan, start checking for doneness at 1 hour, and note that the cake may dome in the center and the topping may become too sticky. Serve with crème fraîche, or lightly sweetened whipped cream

1

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE TOPPING: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 9-inch round cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper. Pour melted butter over bottom of pan and swirl to evenly coat. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in small bowl and sprinkle evenly over melted butter.

2

Peel, halve, and 2 core pears. See whether or not you need another half before you peel the third. Set aside 1 pear half and reserve for other use. Cut remaining 5 pear halves into 4 wedges each. Arrange pears in circular pattern around cake pan with tapered ends pointing inward. Press down on the pear segments so they show through the brown sugar layer. Arrange two smallest pear wedges in center.

3

FOR THE CAKE: Pulse walnuts, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in food processor until walnuts are finely ground, 8 to 10 pulses. Transfer walnut mixture to bowl.

4

Process eggs and sugar in now-empty processor until very pale yellow, about 2 minutes. With processor running, add melted butter and oil in steady stream until incorporated. Add walnut mixture and pulse to combine, 4 to 5 pulses. Pour batter evenly over pears (some pear may show through; cake will bake up over fruit).

5

Bake until center of cake is set and bounces back when gently pressed and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 1/4 hours, rotating pan after 40 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Carefully run paring knife or offset spatula around sides of pan. Invert cake onto wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet; discard parchment. Let cake cool for about 2 hours. Transfer to serving platter, cut into wedges, and serve.

looks delicious