Pecan Spice Layer Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes

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.

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.

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.

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.
• ****Cook time does not include toasting the pecans or allowing cake to cool before frosting.
• Cooks' notes:.
• • Cake layers (not split) can be kept, wrapped individually in plastic wrap and placed in large sealed plastic bags, chilled 1 day or frozen 1 week. If frozen, thaw in bags at room temperature, about 2 hours.
• • Frosting can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature, then stir until smooth before using.
• • Cake can be assembled and frosted 8 hours ahead, then kept, loosely covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature.