Southern Pecan Praline Icing Recipe 43

Steps:

• Grease and flour three nine-inch round cake pans and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream the butter with both granulated sugar and light brown sugar until very light and fluffy, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt and add to the batter alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the layers comes out clean. Cool layers in their pans over a rack for ten minutes, then loosen and turn out layers directly onto racks for cooling. Cool layers thoroughly before icing.
• For the icing, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, then stir in granulated sugar and light brown sugar. (Sugars will not dissolve).
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the evaporated milk until smooth, then whisk this mixture into the saucepan with the sugar mixture. Return saucepan to a medium heat setting and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick, shiny and caramel-like, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and pecans.
• Cool icing to a good spreading consistency (about 30 minutes), then spread evenly between cooled cake layers and over the top and sides of the cake.

Steps:

• -Pecan Pralines-.
• Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan.
• Add sugar to the saucepan and stir frequently (do NOT use a plastic spoon, use a wire whisk). Stir until completely melted and resembles an amber color.
• Add in pecans and continue to stir mixture until the sugar is hot and bubbly (do NOT use a whisk for this part, use a metal spoon).
• On parchment paper, spread out the pecan mixture and let cool completely.
• Break pecans into pieces and place into a food processor. Process until it resembles brown sugar (slightly moist, but not pasty).
• -Butter Cream Icing-.
• Add a dash of salt to the egg whites and beat for 30 seconds.
• Place the whites over a double broiler and add sugar 1/2 cup at a time.
• Gently whip the mixture with a whisk until the egg whites no longer feel grainy when rubbed between your fingertips.
• Whip mixture on medium high until bowl is cool to the touch.
• Cut up the cold, but not hard, butter, and slowly add it to the meringue.
• Mix butter into meringue on medium-high with cake mixer. Keep mixing until you hear a "slapping" sound. This is when the butter cream is ready.
• Add vanilla.

Steps:

• CAKE: Grease and flour three nine-inch round cake pans and preheat oven to 350°F. Cream the butter or margarine with both Granulated sugar and light brown sugar until very light and fluffy, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt and add to the batter alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract. Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans and bake in the center of the preheated oven for twenty-five to thirty minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the layers comes out clean. Cool layers in their pans over a rack for ten minutes, then loosen and turn out layers directly onto racks for cooling. Cool layers thoroughly before icing (recipe follows). Recipe yields a nine-inch, three-layer cake. ICING: Melt the butter or margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, then stir in Granulated Sugar and Imperial Light Brown Sugar. (Sugars will not dissolve). In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the evaporated milk until smooth, then whisk this mixture into the saucepan with the sugar mixture. Return saucepan to a medium heat setting and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick, shiny and caramel-like, about fifteen to twenty minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and pecans. Cool icing to a good spreading consistency (about thirty minutes), then spread evenly between cooled cake layers and over the top and sides of the cake. Recipe yields icing for a nine-inch, three-layer cake.

Steps:

• Mix light brown sugar, granulated sugar, heavy cream, butter, water and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sugar dissolves. Stir in pecans and cook over medium heat until mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 238 to 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. If you spoon a drop of boiling syrup into a cup of ice water, it will form a soft ball that flattens easily between your fingers.
• Remove pan from heat and stir rapidly until mixture thickens. Drop pralines by the spoonfuls, 1-inch apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Let cool completely until firm. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9 or 10 inch Bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• Combine the cake mix with the frosting, eggs, oil, water and 1/2 of the pecan pieces. Mix until combined.
• Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 of pecans in the prepared Bundt pan then pour in the cake batter.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.