A delicious cake recipe you'll come back to time and again.

Topping
4 T. unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3 ripe pears (Barlett or Anjou) peeled & cored

Batter
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 T.) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup milk
3/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Topping:  Melt butter in a saucepan and add brown sugar.  Stir until sugar dissolves.  Pour mixture into a 9 x 12 baking pan and swirl around to cover the bottom.  Cool.  Slice pears into 1/4 inch wedges and lay them on top of the brown sugar mixture, overlapping the slices until the entire bottom of the pan is covered with the pears.

Batter:  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla extract and mix in.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and mix together.  Alternating with the milk, gradually add in the flour mixture to the butter mixture just until the flour is incorporated.  In a large bowl, beat egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff but not dry.  Carefully fold egg whites into the batter.  Spread the batter over the pear topping being careful not to disturb the pear arrangement. 

Bake at 350 degrees 40-45 minutes or until cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool about 10 minutes and invert cake onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.