Caramel Cake with Bourbon-Pear Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup egg substitute, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large Bosc pears, peeled, cored and cubed
• 2 tsp bourbon

 Makes 12 Servings

1.  To prepare the caramel syrup, in a medium saucepan over medium-heat, combine the granulated sugar and 1 tbsp cold water; cook, washing down the sides of the pan with a brush dipped in cold water and swirling the pan to keep the sugar moving, until it turns amber, 6-7 minutes (do not stir). Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the boiling water; cook stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves completely. Let cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F; spray a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the four, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat the butter until creamy; add the buttermilk, brown sugar, egg substitute, vanilla and 1/4 cup of the caramel syrup, beating until well blended. Gradually add the flour mixture stirring until just combined. Scrape the batter into the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool in the pan 5 minutes; remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack.
5. Meanwhile, add the pears to the remaining caramel syrup in the medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Remove from the heat; with a fork or a potato masher, lightly mash the pears until they resemble a chunky applesauce; stir in the bourbon. Pour into a medium serving bowl; let cool sightly. Serve the cake, topping each piece with the pear sauce.

WW POINTS VALUE: 3

Note: This recipe appears in the New WW Complete Cookbook. I have passed this recipe so many times I just had to try it. I also wanted to make up for my trout disaster at dinner. This was a very nice dessert to make and eat. If you don't have Bosc pears, regular pears will work just as well. Carmel cake has a nice flavor and texture to it but the best part of this recipe is the Bourbon-Pear sauce because it sealed the deal with that little touch of bourbon. The bourbon pear sauce can also be used on top of cooked pork and even some grilled vegetables.