Chef Susan Spicer
Bayona
New Orleans Saints

Topping
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sugar
6 Pears, peeled, cored and cut in wedges (approx. 8 per half)
1 Tbsp cane syrup (optional)
Squeeze of lemon juice

Over a low flame, melt butter in a 10” cake pan, or cast iron skillet. Turn heat off. Toss walnut pieces with 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and sprinkle around the bottom of the pan. Toss pear slices with remaining sugar, cane syrup (if using) and lemon juice, then arrange in circles on the bottom of the pan, mounding any extra slices in the center. Turn burner on to medium high and cook the pear slices without moving them until the sugar starts to caramelize on the bottom of the pan. You can swirl the pan gently from time to time to let some of the sugar syrup come up the sides, to check the color. When it appears to be a medium golden brown, turn off the heat and set somewhere cool while you make the batter.

Batter
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup ground walnuts, not too fine
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp cane syrup (optional – if not, add _ cup more sugar or brown sugar)
1/2 cup yogurt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup milk, scalded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together, then stir in walnuts and set aside.
Whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla, cane syrup (if using) and yogurt together, then stir in the dry ingredients. Melt the butter in the scalded milk, and stir into flour mixture. Pour batter over cooled pears and place pan in oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes. Place a pan with a baking rack over the cake pan and carefully turn. Let sit upside-down for 2 minutes, then remove pan. If some pear pieces remain (and they almost always will), just lift them out and lay onto the top of the cake. Scoop the rest of the syrup and remaining walnuts from the bottom of the pan onto the top of the cake.