Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 anjou pears, sliced ( 1/4-inch)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar, plus
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 cup shortening
1 eggs
1 cup molasses
1 cup hot water
2 cups whipping cream
Directions:
Heat oven to 350. Pour butter into 13×9 pan; arrange pears over bottom of pan. In small bowl, stir together brown sugar and 1 Tbs of the cinnamon; sprinkle over pears.
In medium bolw, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, ginger, remaining 1 tsp cinnamon, cloves and salt.
In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup of sugar and shortening at medium speed 3 minutes til blended. Beat in egg. Beat in molasses. Beat in flour mixture in 3 parts alternately with water, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Pour batter over pears. Bake 35-40 minutes til toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean with some moist crumbs attached. Cook in pan on wire rack 30 minutes. Invert onto serving platter; remove pan.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat cream and remaining 2 Tbs sugar at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Serve cake warm with whipped cream.
Servings: 16
Time preparation: 30 min.
Time total: 70 min.