Pear Cake - Torta Di Pere

0 Preheat oven to 350F.
1 With a spatula or your fingers, thoroughly butter a 10-inch springform pan. Sprinkle the pan with 2 tablespoons of the sugar to evenly coat the bottom and the sides of the pan. You will have to shake it a couple of times.
2 Whisk together one cup of sugar with the flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, heavy cream, dark rum, and vanilla in a large bowl. Do not over-whisk.
3 Gently fold the sliced pears into the batter, and, with the help of a wooden spoon, coat all the pear slices.   
4 Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and ensure the pears are evenly distributed and covered with the batter. Sprinkle over the remaining one tablespoon of sugar over the top.
5 Place the pan over a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake until the top is golden and firm to the touch, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
6 Remove from the oven and place the pan over a cooling wire rack for about 5 minutes. With a sharp knife run it alongside the inner of the springform pan to ensure that the cake separates from the walls and comes out easily. 
7 Remove the pan's side and serve your pear cake at room temperature.