Autumn Spice Cake With Sticky Coconut Pecan Icing Recipes

AUTUMN SPICE CAKE WITH STICKY COCONUT-PECAN ICING

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees; coat two 8" round cake pans with nonstick spray, line with rounds of parchment, then coat with spray again.
• Combine oats, boiling water, buttermilk, and spices in a bowl; let stand for 15 minutes.
• Cream butter with both sugars in a second bowl until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat to incorporate. (I used food processor).
• Blend flour, baking soda, and salt into butter mixture just until combined, then add oat mixture. Divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out clean.
• Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cakes on to the rack, lift off the pans, and peel away the parchment. Cool layers completely before frosting.
• TO MAKE THE FROSTING: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Toast coconut on a baking sheet until quite dark, 10-12 minutes.
• Toast pecans on a separate baking sheet until brown and fragrant, about 15 minutes.
• Coarsely chop pecans; set aside with coconut.
• Simmer brown sugar, cream, butter, yolks, and salt in saucepan over medium-low heat. Stirring constantly. Cook until mixture thickens, about 8 minutes.
• Take off heat, add rum and vanilla. Cool until warm to the touch, then fold in coconut and pecans.
• Divide icing between the layers, spreading it to the edge. Just frost in between and then the top. Don't worry about sides.
• TO MAKE THE SWEETENED SOUR CREAM: Beat all ingredients to soft peaks in a bowl with a hand mixer. (can be made and chilled up to 1 hour before serving.).
• Serve and enjoy!

AUTUMN SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F; line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and lightly butter.
• Beat butter, shortening, and sugars together until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth and light.
• Stir the buttermilk and vanilla together. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and spices together in a large bowl.
• Alternately stir the flour mixture and buttermilk, in thirds, into the beaten butter. Blend well with each addition.
• Pour batter into the pans and bake until center tests clean -- about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in the pans on a rack for 30 minutes, unmold, and cool completely before frosting (if desired).

SPICED PECAN CAKE WITH PECAN ICING

Steps:

• Cake: Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
• To candy pecans, place on a large ungreased metal baking sheet.
• Roast 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.
• Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
• Mix in 1/4 cup butter, and stir in hot pecans to coat thoroughly.
• Return mixture to pan and roast 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.
• Mix in 2 Tbsp vanilla, and roast another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Cool candied pecans to room temperature.
• See bottom Note!
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease and flour three 8" round cake pans.
• Cream remaining 3/4 cup butter with 1-1/2 cups sugar in large bowl of electric mixer at high speed until very light and fluffy, about 6 minutes.
• Sift flour and baking soda into another bowl.
• Combine milk and remaining 1 Tbsp vanilla in measuring cup.
• Add dry ingredients and milk mixture alternately to butter mixture, beating at high speed until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally.
• Gently stir in candied pecans.
• Beat egg whites until frothy.
• Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar 1 Tbsp at a time, beating at high speed until mixture is stiff but not dry, about 2 minutes.
• Gently fold beaten egg whites into batter in three additions.
• Divide batter among prepared pans, forming a slight depression in the center of each.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
• Cool 10 minutes in pans, then invert onto wire racks, and cool to room temperature.
• Cake Glaze: Heat water and sugar in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves, swirling pan occasionally.
• Increase heat, and bring mixture to a full boil.
• Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
• Immediately brush hot glaze over top and sides of each cake layer.
• Frosting: Heat sugar and water in heavy 1 quart saucepan over low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until sugar dissolves.
• Increase heat and boil without stirring until mixture registers 230 degrees F (thread stage) on candy thermometer, swirling pan occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• Blend egg yolks in the large bowl of an electric mixer at high speed for 5 seconds.
• Decrease speed to low, and add hot syrup in a thin stream, and then beat at high speed until cool, about 10 minutes.
• DO NOT SCRAPE DOWN SIDES OF BOWL.
• Gradually add butter or margarine, beating at medium speed until smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low, and blend in powdered sugar and vanilla.
• Add chopped pecans and beat at high speed until mixture is very thick.
• Thin frosting with cream if necessary.
• Stack cake layers on a serving platter, spreading 1 cup of frosting between each, refrigerating frosting as necessary to keep it firm.
• Smooth remaining frosting on sides and top of cake.
• Arrange pecan halves around top edge.
• Serve at room temperature.
• Note: If this does not sound rich enough for you, it can be made even richer.
• To do so, increase all ingredients used to candy the pecans by one half.
• After cooling, reserve one cup of the candied pecans and add these to the icing at the same time as the toasted pecans are added.