Praline Pear Cake Recipes

PEAR SPICE BUNDT CAKE WITH WALNUT PRALINE TOPPING

Steps:

• Cake:.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F Butter and flour bundt pan.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
• Beat together butter, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 4 with a handheld. Add yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla.
• Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in batches, mixing well after each addition.
• Fold in pear pieces and chopped walnuts.
• Beat egg whites in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold stiff peaks, then fold whites into batter gently but thoroughly.
• Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top, and bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then invert onto rack and cool completely.
• Walnut Praline Topping:.
• Stir golden brown sugar, whipping cream and 1/2 cup butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until smooth. Boil 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in walnut pieces. Spoon warm topping over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

HEAVENLY PRALINE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Add pecan halves; stir gently to coat. Combine sugar and brown sugar; add to pecan mixture and stir gently to coat., Spread into two greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake 18-22 minutes, stirring once. Cool. Store in an airtight container., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Stir in chopped pecans., Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 325° 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Remove from heat; stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Serve with candied pecans.

PEAR SPICE CAKE WITH PECAN PRALINE TOPPING

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Stir 1/2 cup butter in small saucepan over medium heat until melted and brown, about 3 minutes. Pour into large bowl. Add spice cake mix, canned pear nectar, eggs, molasses and crystallized ginger. Using electric mixer, beat batter 2 minutes. Fold in pears. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake is dark brown and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes. Run knife between pan sides and cake to loosen. Release pan sides. Place cake on platter.
• Stir golden brown sugar, whipping cream and remaining 1/2 cup butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until smooth. Boil 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in pecan halves. Spoon warm topping over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PRALINE PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an eight-inch round cake pan but do not use one with a removable bottom.
• Toast the almonds until lightly browned under the broiler, in a toaster oven or in a heavy ungreased skillet on the top of the stove. Set aside.
• Swirl one-third cup of the sugar with the water in a heavy saucepan or skillet until the sugar dissolves. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture turns a uniform honey-brown color. Pour the caramel into the cake pan, tilting it so the caramel coats the bottom. Immediately scatter the almonds over the caramel.
• Peel and core the pears. Cut them into thin, uniform slices and arrange the slices, overlapping, in a pattern on top of the caramel and almonds.
• Cream the butter with one-half cup of sugar. Beat in the egg. Sift the flour and baking powder together and stir into the batter. Add the almond extract.
• Spread the batter over the pears in the cakepan. There will be a thin layer of batter. A spatula moistened in cold water will make spreading it easier.
• Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool for a minute or two, run a knife around the edge, then unmold onto a serving dish. If any of the topping clings to the pan, lift it off and replace it on the cake. Serve the cake while still warm with whipped cream.