Upside-Down Pear Cake and Second Chances

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 2 Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 2/3 cup sugar + 1/4 cup for making crystallized ginger
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, minced
• 1 T water
• 1 cup grated peeled pears, about 2 medium (I used Clapp pears)