Ingredients
1
box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ French vanilla cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
1 1/2
teaspoons grated gingerroot
2
tablespoons butter or margarine
3 1/3
cups finely chopped peeled Anjou pears (4 medium)
1
cup pear preserves
1/2
cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1
cup whipping cream
1/4
cup honey
Chopped crystallized ginger, if desired
Preparation
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 24 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs. Stir in gingerroot. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake as directed for cupcakes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook pears in butter 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in pear preserves. Cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to medium bowl; cool completely.
In chilled medium bowl, beat crème fraîche, whipping cream and honey with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. To assemble cupcakes, cut each cupcake in half horizontally. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon pear mixture onto bottom half of each cupcake; cover with cupcake tops. Spoon about 2 tablespoons honey cream mixture onto each cupcake. Garnish with crystallized ginger. Store in refrigerator.
