Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease or spray the sides of the pan with cooking oil.

Peel the pears and slice them into ¼-inch thick slices. Place the pear slices in a medium-sized saucepan along with the rest of the topping ingredients (3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, ground cinnamon, and sea salt). Heat over medium-high heat and stir occasionally, until the juicy pears have softened slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the softened pears to the bottom of the pan and arrange them in a circular design, or however you’d like them to look.

Transfer all of the ingredients for the cake batter to a high-powered blender and blend on low speed to medium-low speed until a smooth batter has formed. Note: if you don’t have a quality blender, use a mixing bowl. To do so, mix the wet ingredients together in a large bowl by hand or with an electric mixer. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix the flour mixture and the wet ingredients together until a smooth batter forms.

Pour the cake batter over the pears and spread it into an even layer using a rubber spatula.

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the cake tests clean.

A great way of telling whether or not a cake is fully baked is by taking its internal temperature. Simply insert a digital thermometer into the center of the cake. If it is 190 degrees or higher, it is ready!

Remove the cake from the oven and let the cake cool to room temperature. Release the cake from the cake mold. Turn it over onto a large plate or a cake stand and carefully remove the parchment paper from the top. Now, the spiced pears should be showing their glory!

Slice pear cake and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!