this is a recipe i often make as a cake but i split it up into a dozen babycakes for a friend’s birthday (where we built an insane multi-room fort).

these cakes were in the snack fortress area of the birthday fort, of course.

TOPPING

2 pears, anjou or bartlett, cut in half, cored and cut into thick rings (see picture above if that doesn’t make sense)

1-2 tsp margarine per muffin tin (depending on the size of your muffin pans, you want it to cover the bottom generously)

1 tsp brown sugar per muffin tin

BATTER

1/2 c. margarine (1 stick), softened

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp ginger (dried)

1/2 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp nutmeg

pinch of salt

1 c. molasses

1 c. very hot water

Put your muffin tin in the oven and preheat to 350. once it’s hot, take it out and put in the margarine and brown sugar and put back in the oven while you mix your batter (for 5 minutes), then put pears in the bottom of the tin and put back in the oven for 5 minutes.

For the batter, whisk your flour, spices, salt and baking soda together. in another bowl (or a mixer ideally), cream the margarine and brown sugar until fluffy. mix your hot water and molasses in a bowl so that it dissolves. add your dry and wet ingredients to the “butter” mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the dry. once finished, pour into hot tin over the pears. bake for 15 minutes or until tops are set.

let cool for 10 minutes then flip over onto a wire cooling rack and allow the babycakes to fall out (be patient, don’t force them because the tops could come off).

ALL DONE.