Rustic Sprouted Wheat Pear-Gingerbread Cake

On a cold evening, don't you just love a little gingerbread? 

Rustic Sprouted Wheat Pear-Gingerbread Cake

Topping:

• 1/2 C sucanat
• 3 T butter, cut into several small pieces
• 2 pears, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges

Cake:

• 1½ C sprouted soft wheat (pastry) flour
• 1½  t baking soda
• ½ t salt
• 2 t ground cinnamon
• 2 t ginger powder
• 1 t ground cloves
• 3/4 C honey
• 1 egg
• 1 C applesauce
• 1 C hot water
• ½ C butter or expeller-pressed coconut oil, melted

1. Grease a 9X3 inch round cake pan
2. Sprinkle the sucanat out evenly on the bottom of the cake pan.  Distribute butter pieces on top of the sucanat.
3. Lay the pear wedges on top of the sucanat and butter pieces in spoke/circular fashion.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
5. Add honey, eggs, applesauce.  Mix briefly.  
6. Add hot water.  Mix until just combined.
7. While mixer is running, slowly add melted butter or coconut oil and mix until batter is smooth, about 30 seconds.
8. Pour the batter evenly over the pears in the pan.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
10. Remove the cake from the oven and carefully invert onto a serving plate.
11. Best served warm with freshly whipped maple-sweetened whipped cream.