Preheat the oven to 350º F

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a stand mixer bowl or medium-size bowl.

Beat eggs until foamy. (I used a copper mixing bowl.) Then whisk in the sugar and vanilla.

Melt the butter over medium heat and whisk half of it into the egg mixture.

Combine the dry ingredients with the egg mixture using a hand mixer or use a Kitchenaide stand mixer.

Add the remaining melted butter.

With a vegetable peeler or paring knife, remove the skins from the pears and cut them in half. (Some people leave the skins on. I removed them.)

Core the pears with a spoon and remove the stems with a paring knife. (I have found that  having a firmer pear helps.)

Slice the pear lengthwise into 1/4” thick slices.

Fold the pears into the batter and place the mixture into a 10” greased free form pan. (I sprayed it with cooking spray.)

Bake for 50-60 minutes on the middle rack until the cake turns a golden brown.

Remove the cake from the free form pan, and let it cool on a wire rack at least 10 minutes before serving.

I added a spoonful of sour cream. You can add whipped cream or ice cream if you desire.