Spiced Pecan Cake With Pecan Frosting Recipes

VERMONT MAPLE-PECAN CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking soda and salt. Combine the buttermilk, butter, syrup and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Fold in chopped pecans. , Pour into two 6-in. round baking pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , In a small saucepan, bring corn syrup to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in pecan halves until coated. Place in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. , For frosting, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and syrup until smooth. Beat in confectioners' sugar. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with second layer; frost top and sides of cake. Garnish with glazed pecans. Store in the refrigerator.

ZUCCHINI-PECAN CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper with nonstick spray.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, coarse salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in medium bowl to blend well. Whisk oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl to blend well; fold in flour mixture, then grated zucchini and pecans. Transfer cake batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour. Cut around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cake out onto platter; peel off parchment paper.
• For frosting:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in medium bowl until blended. Beat in sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Spread frosting thickly over top of cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
• Cut cake into wedges and serve.

PECAN SPICE LAYER CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour cake pans, knocking out excess flour.
• Sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices into a large bowl.
• Beat together butter (1 1/2 sticks) and brown sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer (fitted with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and sour cream alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth. Mix in pecans until just combined.
• Spoon batter evenly into pans, smoothing tops, then rap pans once or twice to expel any air bubbles. Bake until pale golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edge of pans, then invert racks over pans and reinvert cakes onto racks to cool completely.
• Make frosting:
• Beat together cream cheese, butter, and zest in a bowl with clean beaters at medium-high speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Sift in confectioners sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined, then add lemon juice and beat at medium-high speed until frosting is smooth.
• Assemble and frost cake:
• Halve each cake layer horizontally with a long serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion. Put 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake stand or large plate and spread with about 3/4 cup frosting. Stack remaining cake layers, spreading about 3/4 cup frosting on each layer and ending with top cake layer cut side down. Spread top and side of cake with remaining frosting (about 3 1/2 cups) and coat side of cake with pecans (1 1/3 cups), gently pressing to help them adhere.

PUMPKIN-PECAN SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the wafers, pecans and butter until crumbly. Press into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. , For cake, in another large bowl, beat the cake mix, pumpkin, eggs and butter; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Spread over crust in each pan. , Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. , For filling, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. , Spread filling between layers (crumb side down) and on the sides and top of cake. Spread caramel topping over top, allowing some to drip down the sides. Garnish with pecan halves. Store in refrigerator.

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.

SPICED PECAN CAKE WITH PECAN FROSTING

Steps:

• 1. Place the pecans in a large ungreased roasting pan and roast at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a medium-size bowl combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then mix in the 4 tablespoons butter. Add the roasted pecans to the butter mixture and coat them thoroughly. Return mixture to pan and roast for 10 minutes more, stirring once or twice. Stir in 2 tablespoons vanilla and roast 5 minutes more. Remove from oven and set aside. In large bowl of electric mixer cream the 1 1/2 sticks butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar on high speed until very light and fluffy, about 6 to 8 minutes. In a separate bowl sift together the flour and baking powder. In a third bowl combine the milk and the remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla. Add the flour mixture and milk mixture alternately to the butter mixture, beating on high speed until well blended and scraping the bowl sides between additions. Stir in the pecans. In a separate bowl whip the egg whites on high speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating until mixture is stiff and holds peaks, about 2 minutes. Gently fold egg whites into the batter, a third at a time. Spoon batter into 3 greased and lightly floured 8-inch round cake pans (1 1/2 inches deep). Spread batter so it is slightly lower in the center (since it peaks in the center during cooking). Bake at 350 degrees F until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pans and place on a wire rack; cool thoroughly. Brush glaze over top of each cake layer with a pastry brush, a little at a time, then spread generously with frosting between layers and on top and sides.
• 2. Frosting: Combine the granulated sugar and water in a 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat to 230 degrees F (soft-thread stage), about 15 minutes; do not stir. In a large bowl of an electric mixer beat the egg yolks on high speed just slightly, about 5 seconds. Gradually add the hot syrup and beat until thoroughly cooled, thick, shiny, and very pale, about 10 minutes. (Start at low speed so it won't splash and then go to high speed). If crystallized sugar builds up around the sides of the bowl, don't scrape it into mixture; it will make the frosting lumpy, and you will have plenty of frosting without it. Gradually add the margarine and mix on medium speed until completely blended and very smooth, about 5 minutes. Blend in the powdered sugar and vanilla on low speed until smooth; then add the pecans and beat on high speed until thoroughly mixed and very thick. If frosting is too thick, thin with a little cream, milk, or water. ***It's best to use margarine rather than butter in this frosting because butter tends to melt out of the frosting as the cake sits awhile.

SPICE CAKE WITH BOURBON-PECAN FROSTING

Steps:

• CAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper; butter and dust with flour. In a bowl, mix the 3 cups of flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and salt. In a cup, mix the milk with the vanilla.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter at medium speed until light and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl. Beat in the dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with the milk mixture and scraping down the bowl.
• Scrape the batter into the pans. Bake in the lower third of the oven for about 35 minutes, until springy. Let cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a rack. Peel off the paper, turn the cakes upright and cool completely.
• FROSTING: In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the butter and egg yolk at medium-high speed until creamy. Beat in the sugar at low speed. Beat in the cream, vanilla and salt, then beat at medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 minutes longer. Beat the bourbon and toasted pecans into the frosting.
• Spread 1 cup of frosting over a cake layer and top with the second layer; frost the top and sides. Let stand 1 hour; serve.