1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces (3/4 stick) 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1/2 cup corn oil or vegetable oil 1 small pear, unpeeled, coarsely grated 1 tablespoon grated, peeled fresh ginger 4 medium pears, peeled, cored, each cut into 6 wedges (about 1 1/2 pounds) Vanilla ice cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position rack in center of oven. sprinkle brown sugar evenly over bottom of heavy 12-inch cast iron skillet with 2 1/2 inch high sides. Add butter pieces to skillet. Place skillet in oven until buter melts, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in bowl. Using electric mixer, beat in eggs and oil. Mix in grated pear and ginger; set aside. Using oven mitt, remove skillet from oven; whisk butter and sugar until sugar dissolves. Arrange pear wedges in skillet in a flower patter, fitting wedges closely together and placing any remaining wedges in center. Pour batter over pears, spreading evenly. Bake until cake is springy to the touch and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer skillt to rck and cool 20 minutes. Loosen edge of cake with knife. Place large plate over skillet. Using oven mitts, firmly grasp plate and skillet. Carefully invert skillet, trurnin out cake onto plate. Remove skillet. Serve cake warm with ice cream, if desired.