Delicate Pear Cake w/ Caramel Sauce

I was requested to make this cake for a dinner tonight. I have been wanting to have this cake since the fall, which is when I usually make it so they didn't have to twist my arm to fulfill the request. It isn't something that appeals to my kids because of all the nuts so I have to make it when there will be a lot of people to eat it. I think it is the caramel sauce that my friends love.

Cake:
16 oz. can pear halves in extra light syrup
1 pkg. white cake mix *
1/3C oil
3 egg whites

Frosting:
1C whipping cream
2T sugar
1t vanilla
16 oz. can pear halves in extra light syrup
1/2C finely chopped hazelnuts or walnuts, toasted

Sauce:
1C brown sugar
1C whipping cream
1/2C butter

Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour 10" tube pan. Drain pear halves reserving 1/3C liquid. Place pear halves in food processor with metal blade, process until smooth. In large bowl combine cake mix, pureed pears, reserved liquid, oil, and egg whites at low speed. Pour into pan. Bake 40-45 minutes. Cool upright in pan for 15 minutes; invert onto serving plate, cool completely.

In small bowl beat cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in vanilla. Frost cake. Cut pear halves lengthwise into 32 slices. Arrange on top of cake slightly overlapping. Press nuts into sides of cake. Refrigerate until serving time.

In medium saucepan, combine sauce ingredients; bring to boil. Boil over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature. Drizzle 2T sauce over pear slices.

To serve, spoon about 2T sauce onto individual dessert plates. Place slice of cake on sauce. Store cake and sauce in refrigerator.

* High altitude - above 3500 ft. Add 1/4C flour to dry cake mix. Bake as directed

post signature

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Christmas in July

Image
  Fall of 2015 I saw a picture of "quilted" Christmas trees on Craftsy.  I saved the project and the fabric requirements.  The instructions list a youtube video that is no longer available.  With the information I had, I figured out how to make these trees. Sometime around the time that I saw the idea on Craftsy, I bought the styrofoam trees with the intention of making it.  I bought fabric for it last year but still didn't get them made for Christmas.  I've had it on my "to do" list all month.  My reasoning is that I have more time now than I will in November. Surprisingly, It took me about 5-6 hours to make these two trees.  I didn't think it would take so long.  The taller tree has a 4" base and is 12" tall.  The smaller tree has a 3-1/2" base and is 9" tall. The trees are made with 2-1/2" squares of fabric that are folded in half diagonally, pressed and then folded in half again and pressed, making a smaller triangl...
Read more

Christmas Tree

Image
This seems to be the year for me to re-create crafts that I did with my mom or that she made.  In the early 80's, a friend of my mother's had us over and we sat at her kitchen table each making a tree like this.  I always liked that tree and decided this would be the year I would make it again. All you need to make it is 30 feet of plush garland.  6 wire hangers.  Zip ties or twist ties.  A strand of lights.  I think we used a strand of 100 mini lights so many years ago.  I've been debating this in my mind though.  50 seemed like it would be enough and 100 perhaps too much.  I was at the hardware store today and saw a box of 70 lights and figured it was middle of the road . . . perfect.  The bulbs were a little bigger than the typical strand of lights, this could work too.  Having made the tree I have mixed thoughts on the lights.  I would opt for the 100 bulb strand to have more lights, but then, I like lights.  I like ...
Read more

Cathedral Window Ornament

Image
Our DAR Chapter has a Christmas luncheon today.  I wanted to make an ornament for a "favor" of sorts.  I thought it would be nice for everyone to have something.  When fabric went on sale in July I bought what I would need for this project.  One part of me really would liked to have used Christmas fabrics but I kept in mind this is for a patriotic group and they can hang it off a door knob or cabinet, etc. and use it year round.  I hope they like it. I tried to remember to take pictures as I went through the process.  I made 64 of these ornaments in an assembly line sort of way in that I did each step for all of them and then moved on to the next step.  The Main Fabric is 10" x10"        Center fabric (lower right) is 5" x 5"        Accent fabric measures 4.5" x 4.5"        Backing is 5" x 5" (not pictured)        Ribbon is 8" Start by folding the fabric in ...
Read more