These individual upside-down cakes are baked—and can be transported—in a muffin tin.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 small cakes

　　7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for the tin

　　6 tablespoons light corn syrup

　　12 teaspoons packed light-brown sugar

　　3/4 cup fresh blueberries, picked over and rinsed

　　1 ripe Bartlett pear, halved lengthwise, cored, and cut into thin wedges

　　1 cup all-purpose flour

　　3/4 teaspoon baking powder

　　1/4 teaspoon baking soda

　　1/8 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

　　1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

　　1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

　　2/3 cup granulated sugar

　　1 large whole egg plus 1 large egg yolk

　　3/4 cup buttermilk

　　1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter the cups and top of a muffin tin with six 8-ounce cups. Place 1 teaspoon butter in each muffin cup. Top each with 1 tablespoon corn syrup; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons light brown sugar. Arrange 7 or 8 blueberries in each cup. Cut the pear slices to fit the shape of muffin cups; place 4 or 5 pieces on top of the berries, spreading the slices to cover the berries. Arrange the remaining berries over the pears, and set the tin aside.

　　

Step 2

Into a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the granulated sugar and remaining 5 tablespoons butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk; beat until smooth.

　　

Step 3

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in the vanilla.

　　

Step 4

Pour 1/3 cup batter over the fruit in each muffin cup. Gently tap the bottom of the tin against the counter several times to evenly distribute the batter.

　　

Step 5

Bake the cakes until golden around the edges and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven; let cool in the tin.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group.Buy the full book from Amazon.