PEAR AND WALNUT UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Serves 8

Make a boxed cake mix extraordinary with the addition of caramel and fruit.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 pear, cored and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 (17 ounce) box all-natural yellow cake mix, plus the ingredients required to make the batter

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan then use it to line the pan; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together heavy cream and sugar until combined. Spread mixture evenly over bottom of pan; set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Arrange pears in skillet in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until edges are deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat and set pears aside to let cool slightly. Arrange pears in the bottom of the pan in a decorative pattern then sprinkle with walnuts.

In a medium bowl, prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter over pears and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer pan to rack to let cool then run a knife around edge of cake to release it from pan. Invert cake onto a plate, remove and discard parchment paper, cut cake into slices and serve.

Nutritional Info:
PER SERVING:Serving size: 1 piece, 430 calories (180 from fat), 20g total fat, 11g saturated fat,115mg cholesterol, 290mg sodium, 63g carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 39g sugar), 7g protein