Pear-ginger upside-down cake

Place the quartered pears on top of the butter-sugar mixture, arranging them tightly in a decorative circle.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter (cut into smaller pieces) and brown sugar for 3-5 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and lightened.

Add the maple syrup and beat to fully mix. The mixture might look like it's breaking or curdling at this stage, but don't worry—it will come together once the dry ingredients are added.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Whisk the sifted dry ingredients to fully combine them.

Alternately add small amounts of the flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter, stirring and folding gently with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are just absorbed. Be careful not to overmix the batter; stop as soon as no streaks of flour remain.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

After 10 minutes, cover the pan with your serving plate, then carefully invert them together. Release the sides of the springform pan and lift it away. Gently lift the pan's base off the cake, then peel away the parchment paper.

Allow the cake to cool further, then serve it warm.