A couple of weeks ago, for my Ladies' weekend, my aunt requested that I make "that Pecan Praline cake" that I had made several years ago, for our first Ladies' weekend. We left the dish out with the cake on it, with a knife astride, and by the end of the weekend, that thing was GONE. Everyone had chipped away at it by taking a sliver here and a chunk there. It was a fairly huge hit.
Since then, this has made an excellent birthday cake, a traditional holiday dessert, and a delicious treat, winter or summer. I got this recipe from the November 2000 issue of Bon Appetit (must give credit where credit is due: I'm not interested in getting sued, I already have one of those irons in the fire - not for this website). The pralines are also delicious in salad, cookies, as a snack, you name it. Last Christmas my mom made up a bunch of these and gave them away as gifts in pretty containers. This is a delightful cake, so have a try:
Cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
Pecan Praline Topping
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
Preparation for cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper; butter paper. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in chopped pecans. Divide batter between pans.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. If necessary, run small knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off waxed paper. Cool cakes completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil and store at room temperature.)
Using 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom as aid, transfer 1 cake layer, flat side up, to platter. Spread 1 cup cream cheese frosting over top. Top with second cake layer, flat side up. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange Pecan Praline Topping all over top of cake, mounding slightly in center. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)
Preparation for Frosting
Using electric mixer, beat 12 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter and vanilla extract in large bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.
Preparation for Pecan Pralines:
Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter rimmed baking sheet. Using fork, beat egg white and 1 tablespoon water in medium bowl until foamy. Add brown sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Add pecan halves and toss to coat. Spread pecan mixture on prepared baking sheet (some egg white-sugar mixture will flow out onto baking sheet). Bake until nuts are deep brown and crisp, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven; stir to loosen nuts from baking sheet. Cool nuts completely on sheet. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)
Bon Appétit, November 2000
