Spice Cake With Bourbon Pecan Frosting Recipes

SPICE CAKE WITH BOURBON-PECAN FROSTING

Steps:

• CAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper; butter and dust with flour. In a bowl, mix the 3 cups of flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and salt. In a cup, mix the milk with the vanilla.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter at medium speed until light and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl. Beat in the dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with the milk mixture and scraping down the bowl.
• Scrape the batter into the pans. Bake in the lower third of the oven for about 35 minutes, until springy. Let cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a rack. Peel off the paper, turn the cakes upright and cool completely.
• FROSTING: In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the butter and egg yolk at medium-high speed until creamy. Beat in the sugar at low speed. Beat in the cream, vanilla and salt, then beat at medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 minutes longer. Beat the bourbon and toasted pecans into the frosting.
• Spread 1 cup of frosting over a cake layer and top with the second layer; frost the top and sides. Let stand 1 hour; serve.

SPICED PECAN CAKE WITH PECAN ICING

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.