Warm Caramel Apple Cake

cjRecipes.com

1/2 cup butter OR margarine
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 large cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (about 2-1/3 cups)
1 box yellow cake mix
1-1/4 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
**1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice

TOPPING:
2/3 cup fluffy white frosting (from 12-ounce container)
1/2 cup frozen (thawed) whipped topping
Caramel topping, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a 1-quart saucepan, cook butter, whipping cream and brown sugar over low heat.
Stir occasionally, just until butter is melted.
Pour into 13 x 9-inch pan.
Sprinkle with pecans; top with sliced apples.

2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs and apple pie spice with electric mixer
on low speed until moistened.
Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Carefully spoon batter over apple mixture.

3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
Loosen sides of cake from pan.
Place heatproof serving platter upside down on pan; carefully turn platter and pan over.
Let pan remain over cake about 1 minutes so caramel can drizzle over cake. Remove pan.

4. In small bowl, mix frosting and whipped topping.
Serve warm cake topped with frosting mixture and drizzled with caramel topping.

**You can substitute cinnamon for the apple pie spice to have a slightly different flavor.

APPLES: Good choices for this recipe are Granny Smith OR Braeburn.