Step aside, pineapple upside-down cake! Make this decadent salty-and-sweet pear upside-down cake for your holiday meals.

Pear and Pistachio Upside-Down Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray.

Place 1/4 cup pistachios in center of cake pan. Arrange pear slices in a circular fashion around pistachios, slightly overlapping slices.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and maple syrup; cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Pour over pears in cake pan; set aside.

Place cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until moistened. Beat on medium for 3 minutes. Pour cake batter over butter mixture in cake pan.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife along edge of pan to loosen cake. Place a serving plate on top of cake pan; carefully invert cake pan onto plate. Remove cake pan. Garnish with additional chopped pistachios, if desired.