low-fat pear upside-down cakes

I find eggs magical at times.

I love them for a lot of reasons, but I'm really loving what they did for these upside-down cakes.

The mini-Bundts are golden-edged, totally addictive and low-fat -- two yolks. That's it.

No butter. No oil. And no crappy fat substitutes (like applesauce) to weigh the cake down.

The eggs worked their magic and turned a little bit of flour, spice and super sweet pear into addictive mini sponge cakes.

I'm not a big fan of "light" cakes and muffins. Most of the time, they're heavy as rocks, dry as paper and taste like nothing (or worse, something fake).

But that hasn't kept me from trying to make one myself. One that actually tastes like cake. Really good cake.

So I did a little riff on angel food cake -- simplified it, left in a couple of yolks and added that yummy caramelized upside-down part.

The pear upside-down cakes have that signature golden edge similar to angel food cake, but they're not dense like angel food can be.

They're more like sponge cake, with an airy texture that pairs well with the moist pear topping.

Three types of sugar (but not too much of any of them) and a little spice also ratchet-up the flavor.

They’re delicious, addictive and totally work anytime of day.

Pear Upside-Down Cakes

makes 12 mini-Bundt cakes

• 1 ripe pear, peeled and diced (about 1 cup diced pear)

• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar

• 3 tablespoons demerara sugar

• 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 eggs, at room temperature

• 1 egg white, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a mini-Bundt pan with non-stick spray very very well, making sure to coat inside the cups, the center "post" in each cup and the top of the pan.

In small bowl, combine brown sugar, demerara sugar and diced pear. Evenly distribute pear-sugar mixture between the 12 Bundt-cake cups, evenly placing fruit on bottom of each cup.

In small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and salt, and whisk to thoroughly combine. Set aside.

In bowl of a standmixer, combine eggs, egg white and granulated sugar. Beat on medium for 5 minutes, then on high for another 5 minutes, until light in color and fluffy. Scrape down sides as necessary.

Add vanilla and beat 1 minute. Gently fold in flour mixture. Do not overmix.

With an ice cream scoop or two spoons, distribute cake dough evenly between the 12 cake cups.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully invert cakes onto baking sheet or large serving platter and allow to cool slightly.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Because there is so little fat in them, I think it's safe to say the cakes probably don't have much of a shelf life. They should probably be eaten right away, which didn't prove to be a problem here.