Spiced Pecan Cake
Ingredients
2 C. coarsely chopped pecans
1/4 C. packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 C. unsalted butter
2 tsp. plus 2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 C. sugar
3 C. sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 C. plus 2 Tbsp. milk
3 egg whites
Spiced Pecan Cake Glaze:
1 C. water
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Spiced Pecan Cake Frosting:
1 1/2 C. granulated sugar
3/4 C. water
8 egg yolks
1 1/2 C. margarine, softened
2 1/2 C. powdered sugar
4 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 C. pecans; coarsely chopped
Cooking Instructions
Grease and flour three 8 inch round cake pans (1 1/2 inch deep). Place the pecans in a large ungreased roasting pan. Roast nuts at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Watch, carefully, lower heat, if necessary. Meanwhile, in a medium size bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Then, mix in 4 Tbls. of butter. Add 2 C. roasted pecans to the butter mixture. Coat them thoroughly. Return mixture to the pan and roast for 10 minutes more, stirring once or twice. Stir in 2 Tbls. vanilla extract and roast 5 minutes more. Remove from oven and set aside. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream 3/4 C. butter and 1 1/2 C. sugar on high speed until very light and fluffy, for about 6 to 8 minutes. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. In a third bowl, combine milk and remaining 2 tsp. vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture, alternately, to the butter, 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, for about 30 seconds. Add remaining 1/2 C. sugar and continue beating until mixture holds peaks, about 2 minutes. Gently, fold egg white mixture into the batter, one-third at a time. Spoon batter into prepared cake pans and spread batter so that it is slightly lower in the center. Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, for about 40 minutes. Let cool for 1 minute, then carefully remove from the pans and place on a wire rack. Cool thoroughly. Spread glaze lightly over cake and then spread generously with frosting between layers and on top and sides. Spiced Pecan Cake Glaze: Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Immediately, brush the glaze over the top of each cake layer with a pastry brush, a little at a time using all the glaze. Spiced Pecan Cake Frosting: Use margarine rather than butter in this frosting because butter tends to melt out of the frosting as the cake sits awhile. Roast pecans until dark, then cool. Combine the granulated sugar and water in a 1 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat to soft thread stage (230 degrees on a candy thermometer), for about 15 minutes. Do not stir. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg yolks on high speed just slightly, about 5 seconds. Gradually, add the hot sugar water mixture. Beat until thoroughly cool, thick, shiny and very pale, about 10 minutes. Start at low speed so it will not splash; then go to high speed. If crystal sugar builds up around the sides of the bowl, do not scrape it into the 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, for about 5 minutes. Blend in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract on low speed until smooth, then, add the pecans. Beat on high speed until thoroughly mixed and very thick. If frosting is too thick, thin with a little cream, milk or water.
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