Upside-down Pear & Ricotta Cake

Method

1. Grease a 21cm cake tin and line it with baking parchment. Double line the bottom, so the juice won't leak out. Start with the top layer. In a small bowl, rub the zest of orange and lemon with a bit of the sugar (2 tbsp) using a teaspoon, so the zest can properly release its oils into the sugar. Tip all ingredients into a small saucepan and bring it to a light simmer. Turn off and set aside to cool down.
2. Toast the pecans and set them aside. Halve and core the pears. Put them flat side down on a chopping board, hold the tip of the pear with your fingers and slice them lengthways beginning from below the tip, so that the pear still stays together. Put the pears into the prepared tin, belly down (cored side up) and sprinkle with toasted pecans. Set aside.
3. Make the batter. Combine dry ingredients (not nuts) in a medium bowl. Set aside. Set the oven to 180°C.
4. Reuse the vanilla pod you used in the top layer glaze by blitzing it with butter in a food processor or using a stick blender. That way you'll get the most use out of your vanilla pod. Add the stem ginger bulbs and blitz a bit more. Tip the vanilla/ginger butter into a large bowl, add the ricotta, sugar and fava bean paste and beat using an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then fold in the nuts. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
5. Pour the cooled down top glaze syrup into the tin over the pears and then spread the batter evenly over the top of the pears as smoothly as possible, put it in the oven and bake at 180°C for about 75 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. It's a good idea to cover the cake with foil mid way if it starts to brown too quickly. You can take the foil away at the end to finish baking, keeping an eye on the cake so it doesn't burn.
6. About 10 minutes before the cake is done, prep the final after-bake syrup which you will pour over the cake once it's out of the oven. Simply put all the ingredients into a small saucepan and heat up and once the cake is ready, take it out of the oven, pierce lots of holes in it using a skewer and pour the juice over the top. Set aside and leave it to cool completely before turning it upside down and serving it. It's absolutely delicious served with creme fraiche or whipped cream drizzled with date syrup. Enjoy with tea. It will last in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.