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1
For the topping: Preheat your oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
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2
Fan out as many pear slices in the bottom of the cake pan as you can fit then sprinkle with the chopped crystallized ginger.
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3
In a medium skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Keep stirring until the milk solids bubble up and eventually turn a golden brown. Pour the browned butter in a small bowl, use a spatula to get it all out and set inside another bowl filled with ice to cool it down. Then pop it into your freezer for 15-20 minutes until it thickens back up.
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4
Meanwhile, wipe out what brown butter is left in the skillet and melt 4 more tablespoons of butter along with the bourbon, the light brown sugar and the pinch of kosher salt over medium heat. Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is bubbly and has slightly thickened, pour the bourbon caramel over the pears.
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5
For the cake: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt and nutmeg and set aside.
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6
In the bowl of you electric mixer add the remaining four tablespoons of butter, the solidified browned butter, the caviar from the vanilla bean and the granulated sugar. Mix on medium-low speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
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7
Reduce the speed to low and add in one egg at a time. Mix until each egg is incorporated.
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8
Alternate adding small amounts of the dry ingredients and the buttermilk into the creamed mixture, mixing until just combined.
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9
Spoon the cake batter over top of the caramel covered pears and spread evenly.
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10
Bake on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out with only a few crumbs attached when inserted into the center of the cake. Remove it from the oven and set pan on a rack.
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11
Let cake cool for 10 minutes before running a knife along the edge of the cake and inverting it out of the pan onto a clean cake stand or platter. Let cake cool for 30 minutes or so before slicing and serving.
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12
I like mine dusted with powdered sugar. Yum!
