Pears and pecans and chocolate ... oh, my! You would never guess that this recipe is a fixed-up cake mix. It comes together in less than 20 minutes of prep time. And after just 30 minutes of baking, you have a dessert worthy of any restaurant's pastry chef.

Recipe included with this story: Pear Pecan Chocolate Cake

The secret is nothing more than a few convenient pantry staples.

The first time-saver is a can of pears in their natural juices. So there's no peeling and slicing ornery pears. The next super-easy ingredient is salted caramel sauce ice cream topping, which has become a favorite at my house. Add chopped pecans and a boxed devil's food cake mix and "Yum!" is right around the corner.

To make the cake super-moist and brownie-like, I added less water than usual and baked the cake in a single layer in a straight-sided, deep-dish tart pan or pie plate. This condenses the usually light and fluffy cake mix into the deep, rich, fudgy goodness that makes this cake so special. Its rich flavor is just right without being overly sweet, and there is no need for icing or frosting.

I can't wait to hear what you think!

-- Alicia Ross, Kitchen Scoop

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