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1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9 inch square cake pan.
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2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a nonstick pan over medium. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Add half of the pears, cut side down in a single layer. Cook until brown on bottoms, about 2-3 minutes. Turn over and cook other cut side, additional 2-3 minutes. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining pears.
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3. Add port to remaining pear juices in skillet, sprinkle remaining sugar over liquid. Cook, stirring until reduced to a syrup about 1 minutes. Pour syrup into the buttered cake pan and swirl to coat. Starting from one side of the pan, fan pears out in single layer, arranging tapered sides in the same direction.
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4. In a bowl, sift flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt.
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5. In a mixer, cream remaining 8 tablespoons butter until fluffy. Add brown sugar, beat on medium high for four minutes.
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6. Add eggs and beat to combine. Mix in molasses and grated ginger. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture, combine on low. In a small bowl combine baking soda and boiling water, beat into batter. Mix in the remaining flour mixture.
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7. Pour batter into pan over pear. Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 and bake until springy to the touch, 10-15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour, run knife around cake pan and invert onto serving plate.
