Bourbon Praline Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch angel food cake pan with a nonremovable bottom with oil, line the bottom with parchment paper, then oil and flour the pan.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the oil, granulated sugar, honey, brown sugar, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla on medium speed for one minute. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, allspice, and ginger and blend. Combine the coffee, orange juice, and bourbon in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour and liquid mixtures to the oil-sugar mixture in thirds, beginning and ending with flour, until combined. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Don't worry; the batter will be very liquid!
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Rap the pan 5 times on the counter to get rid of any bubbles in the batter. Sprinkle the top with the almonds. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely, then remove from the pan and place almond side up on a flat serving plate. Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Place 2 cups of the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until combined, then add the shortening and mix until worked in. Whisk together the buttermilk, egg and yolk, and vanilla in a small bowl and then add to the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Beat in remaining 1 cup flour until combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and roll to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut dough into rounds. Using a 1-inch cookie cutter, cut hole from center of each round. Gather scraps and re-roll dough, cutting additional doughnuts until dough is used up.
• Heat 5 inches of oil in a large pot to 350 degrees F. Add doughnuts, 3 at a time, and fry until golden on both sides, turning once, about 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
• When doughnuts have cooled, dip tops of doughnuts in the mixture and place on baking racks until the praline sets up slightly. Sprinkle nuts on top.
• Combine sugar, water, vanilla bean and seeds in a medium saucepan over high heat and cook until dark amber color. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the cream, butter and salt. Return to the heat and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the bourbon. Strain. Let cool until slightly thickened.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the bourbon, milk and vanilla in a separate bowl (it may get clumpy looking--that's ok) and set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and coconut oil until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add 1 3/4 cups of the granulated sugar and beat until fluffy, about 1 more minute. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well between additions. Add the dry ingredients in four batches, alternating with the wet mixture, starting and ending with the dry. Stir in the pecans.
• In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and whip to stiff peaks, about 5 minutes total. Fold the egg whites into the batter in thirds.
• Pour into a bundt pan and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool before turning the cake out of the pan.
• For the glaze: In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, bourbon and 2 tablespoons water. Once the cake is cool, top it with the glaze and sprinkle with the chopped pecans.

Steps:

• 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.)
• For syrup:
• Stir 3 tablespoons water and sugar in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Remove from heat. Stir in bourbon. Cool.
• Using 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom as aid, transfer 1 cake layer, flat side up, to platter. Brush some of syrup over top of cake. Spread 1 cup cream cheese frosting over top. Top with second cake layer, flat side up. Brush top and sides of cake with remaining syrup. 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.)

Steps:

• Grease bottoms of 3 8-inch round cake pans; line with wax paper. Grease and flour wax paper and sides of pans; set aside.
• Cook first 3 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or until butter melts and mixture is smooth; remove from heat, and let cool.
• Beat buttermilk and next 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add butter mixture to buttermilk mixture, beating until blended. Combine sugar, flour, and salt; gradually add to buttermilk mixture, beating until blended. (Batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
• Bake at 350°F for 25 to 28 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. (Cakes will appear thin).
• Spread about 1/2 cup Chocolate Ganache between each cake layer; spread remaining Chocolate Ganache on sides of cake. (Do not frost top of cake). Chill cake 30 minutes. Pour warm Praline Frosting slowly over top of cake, spreading to edges. (Cover and let stand up to 24 hours, if desired).
• Pierce about 25 holes in top of cake using a wooden or metal skewer. Pour warm Bourbon Glaze over cake.

Steps:

• Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper; set aside. In a 4-quart saucepan, combine buttermilk, baking soda, and sugar. Over medium-high heat, bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. To prevent crystals from forming, brush sides of pan with cold water.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees (soft-ball stage), about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter and bourbon; stir with a wooden spoon until butter has melted. Stir in pecans; beat with wooden spoon for 30 seconds. Immediately spoon 1 tablespoon of pecan mixture onto prepared baking pan, forming a 2-inch patty. Repeat with remaining mixture. If mixture begins to harden, return to heat for 1 minute, scraping down sides and stirring. Let patties stand until set, about 1 hour. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Steps:

• Grease 2 baking sheets; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugars, then the cream; cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer reads 236° (soft-ball stage), about 20 minutes. , Remove from the heat; stir in the pecan halves, chopped pecans and bourbon. Immediately drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Let stand until pralines are set and no longer glossy. Store in an airtight container.