Red Velvet Pecan Praline Pound Cake Recipes

RED VELVET POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Grease and flour a 10-in. fluted tube pan., In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in food coloring and extracts (mixture may appear curdled). In another bowl, whisk flour, baking cocoa, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating after each addition just until combined., Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 70-75 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely., For icing, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over cake; sprinkle with pecans. Store in refrigerator.

RED VELVET PECAN PRALINE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• To make Pecan Praline Powder:
• Prepare a jelly roll pan by lining with foil and buttering the bottom.
• Combine 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a heavy bottomed skillet over high heat and cook until the mixture begins to turn a light caramel color (about 8 minutes). When sugar becomes caramel colored, quickly add 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans and mix with a wooden spoon until nuts are covered with caramel.
• Take off heat and immediately pour mixture onto the buttered foil-lined jelly roll pan, spreading out the hot sugar-nut mixture. Allow it to cool. Once it cools completely, break it into pieces and pulverize in a food proccesor. Grind it a bit coarsely, so you can see nut bits, but that is a personal preference. Set aside. Makes about 2/3 cup.
• To Make Pound Cake: Preheat oven to 300 degree F.
• Grease, flour and sprinkle with finely chopped pecans (1/3 cup untoasted) a 10-inch tube pan.
• Cream together butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy. Blend in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add red food coloring and vanilla extract. In another bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
• Beat flour mixture in three parts into creamed mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Begin and end with flour. Stir in chocolate chips and Pecan Praline Powder.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick tests clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan, then invert onto serving plate and allow to cool completely before serving. Dust with cocoa powder or confectioners sugar for a pretty presentation.

PRALINE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter 2 (9 by 5 by 3-inch) loaf pans, using the heaping tablespoon of the butter.
• Cream the remaining butter and the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
• In a separate mixing bowl, beat together the egg yolks with the vanilla until light and frothy. With the electric mixer on medium-low, gradually add the egg yolk mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix for about 4 minutes.
• In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the electric mixer on medium speed, alternately add the flour mixture, a third at a time, and the egg whites, a third at a time, to the butter and egg mixture, beating for 2 minutes between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you mix. Add the lemon zest during the last 2 minutes of mixing.
• Divide the batter equally between the pans. To 1 of the cakes, add the crumbled pralines and the rum to the batter and gently stir to mix evenly; leave the other plain. Bake the plain cake for about 1 hour, the praline cake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Both should be golden when done and firm to the touch.
• The cakes can be stored by wrapping them in waxed paper, then plastic wrap, then in foil. They do not need to be refrigerated.
• In a heavy saucepan, over medium heat, combine the sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt and condensed milk. With a wooden spoon, stir until the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook, stirring, until smooth and light brown, about 8 minutes. Add the vanilla and pecans and continue to cook, stirring, until the mixture reaches 234 to 240 degrees F. on a candy thermometer or the soft ball stage, that is, when a bit dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens. Remove from the heat and drop by the spoonful onto waxed paper. Let cool. Remove from the paper with a thin knife.

VERY RED VELVET CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING AND PECANS

Steps:

• To make the cake: Set the oven to 350°F and adjust the rack positions to the middle and top third. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans well with baking spray.
• Sift the flour with the baking soda.
• In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs well, then beat in the sugar, oil, and vinegar. On low speed, slowly add the flour and beat in well. Add the buttermilk slowly, then the vanilla, and then the food coloring.
• Pour the batter evenly into the pans and rap them on the countertop several times to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake for 12 minutes, then rotate the pans from shelf to shelf so they bake evenly and bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 25 minutes altogether. Let the cakes cool in the pans on racks for 15 minutes.
• Run a knife around the sides of the pans and invert the cakes onto the racks to cool completely. Once they're cool, refrigerate the cakes for 20 to 30 minutes to make icing them easier.
• To make the icing: Combine everything in a medium bowl and mix well until very smooth. It's best to use the icing right away, when it's soft and spreadable.
• Put one cake layer upside down on a cake plate or cake stand and cover the top evenly with frosting. Add a second layer, right side up, and spread with more frosting. Top with the third layer, right side up, and spread the frosting evenly around the sides of the cake and on top; check for any places where you can see through to the cake. Finally, sprinkle the pecans evenly all over the top of the cake.
• Once the frosting sets, cut into slices to serve. This cake keeps for up to 2 weeks in a cake keeper, but once it's ready, people want to dive right in.

HEAVENLY PRALINE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Add pecan halves; stir gently to coat. Combine sugar and brown sugar; add to pecan mixture and stir gently to coat., Spread into two greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake 18-22 minutes, stirring once. Cool. Store in an airtight container., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Stir in chopped pecans., Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 325° 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Remove from heat; stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Serve with candied pecans.