Chocolate Pear Upside-Down Cake

To prepare topping: Cut each pear half in half again lengthwise. In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and honey, stirring briefly just to blend. Cook just until sugar begins to melt. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle walnuts evenly in skillet. Arrange pears on top; set skillet aside.

To prepare the cake: Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. With an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in chocolate and vanilla. Beat in the dry ingredients in 2 additions, alternating with the milk. Spread the batter over the pears.

Bake about 35 minutes, or until just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Let cool in the pan 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Wearing oven mitts, invert a plate over the skillet; invert cake onto the plate. Carefully lift skillet off cake and replace any fruit and caramelized sugar that is stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Serve a spoonful on top of each serving.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.