Caramel
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Cream butter and sugar together. Cover the bottom of 4 to 6 small well-sprayed cast-iron pans or deep-set ramekins with this mixture.
Cake
1/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
2 eggs, separated
3/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup thinly sliced pears
Cream together butter and sugar. Add salt, vanilla, lemon, and sesame oil and beat for 3 minutes, until fluffy. Add egg yolks, and mix until combined. Mix flour and cornstarch and set aside. Combine baking soda and buttermilk and set aside. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to sugar mixture. Whip egg whites to medium-firm peaks, and fold into the batter. Place the thinly sliced pears on top of the caramel mixture in the ramekins. Pour the batter into the molds.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Run knife along the edge and immediately turn over onto a plate.
