Grease a 9"/22cm round cake tin with a little bit of butter
Preheat oven to 350F/180C
Brown Sugar Butter Base
Combine softened butter and brown sugar into a bowl. Cream either by hand or with a stand mixer, until the sugar and butter are combined and there are no lumps.
Use a spatula and dollop out the creamed butter and sugar mixture into the greased round pan.
Use your fingers to gently press out the butter and sugar mix, until it evenly covers the bottom of the pan.
Arrange the sliced pears in a pretty pattern so that they cover the base of the brown butter sugar mix. Gently press the pears into the mixture, but not so much that they touch the actual pan.
Cake Layer
Place butter and sugar into a bowl and use a hand mixer or stand mixer to combine the ingredients together until smooth.
Add eggs 1 at a time and mix until combined.
Sift the flour and baking powder, and gradually add to the mixture, beating after each addition.
Add the milk and combine once more for 30 seconds. Make sure you're scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.
Gently pour the cake batter over the top of the pears.
Use a spatula to smooth over the surface for an even covering.
Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and cooked through.
Notes
American friends - use the imperial measurements. Australian friends - do not use cups, use the metric measurements in grams