Caramel Pecan Spice Cake

Fall is the perfect season for baking, although now that my daughters are older, they do most of the baking around here.

This Caramel Pecan Spice Cake was made from “scratch” by my oldest daughter.  When I was her age, I loved to bake, but never dreamed of making a “scratch” cake.  I was very intimidated by the idea. I never made a real “homemade” cake until after I was married.  My husband came home talking about this amazing cake an older lady at work had made…from scratch.  He asked her for the recipe, which in the South is the highest compliment you can pay someone, and of course she gave it to him.  

When I looked at the recipe, I realized….it’s not that hard!  It’s really just a matter of adding a few dry ingredients to the flour instead of dumping it out of a box.  Who knew?  I gave it a try and we’ve been making “scratch” cakes ever since.  Although, I do still have some recipes that use a box and they are wonderful too.  

This recipe was adapted from Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible.  She says this is a “handsome” cake.  I’m not exactly sure what that means but it did look nice and tasted great!

Here’s the Recipe:

(specific amounts of ingredients listed in printable recipe below)

Cake:

chopped pecans, butter, sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, cake flour (substitution in printable recipe below), cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk (substitution in printable recipe below), vanilla

Frosting:

butter, light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, whole milk, powdered sugar, vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  

Spray 3  8-inch round baking pans with cooking spray and line with parchment paper cut to fit the bottom of each pan (set aside)

Place chopped pecans on a baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes

After removing pecans from oven, increase temperature to 350 degrees

While pecans are baking, using electric mixer, beat butter about 1-2 minutes until creamy

Add sugars and beat again until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg

In a medium bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt

In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk and vanilla

Add flour and milk mixtures alternating

Start and end with flour

Mix just until incorporated, scraping down sides a couple of times.

Using a spatula, fold pecans into batter

 Divide batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 about 23-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean

Cool 10 minutes.  Turn out of pans and onto a baking rack to cool

Peel away parchment paper and cool completely before icing

Icing:

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter.  Stir in both brown sugars and slowly add milk.  Pour into bowl of electric mixer and powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time beating on medium speed until smooth.  When all sugar in incorporated mix in vanilla.  

Assembly:

Place one layer bottom side down on a plate.  Spread with 1 cup icing. Top with second layer so that bottom side is up and spread with just less than 1 cup icing.  Place third layer on top with bottom up and cover top and all sides with remaining frosting.

Garnish with more chopped pecans if desired 

Caramel Pecan Spice Cake

2013-11-15 02:24:05

Serves 10

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Cake

1. 11/4 cup chopped pecans
2. 1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature
3. 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
4. 3 large eggs
5. 2 1/2 cups cake flour (see below for cake flour substitution)
6. 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
7. 2 teaspoons baking powder
8. 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
9. 3/4 teaspoon salt
10. 1 1/4 cups buttermilk (see below for substitution)
11. 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Spray 3 8-inch round baking pans with cooking spray and line with parchment paper cut to fit the bottom of each pan (set aside)
3. Place chopped pecans on a baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes
4. After removing pecans from oven, increase temperature to 350 degrees
5. While pecans are baking, using electric mixer beat butter about 1-2 minutes until creamy
6. Add sugars and beat again until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes
7. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg
8. In a medium bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
9. In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk and vanilla
10. Add flour and milk mixtures alternating. Start and end with flour. Mix just until incorporated, scraping down sides a couple of times.
11. Using a spatula, fold pecans into batter
12. Divide batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 about 23-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean
13. Cool 10 minutes. Turn out of pans and onto a baking rack to cool
14. Peel away parchment paper and cool completely before icing
15. While cake is cooling prepare frosting

Assembly

1. Place one layer bottom side down on a plate. Spread with 1 cup icing. Top with second layer so that bottom side is up and spread with just less than 1 cup icing. Place third layer on top with bottom up and cover top and all sides with remaining frosting.
2. Garnish with more chopped pecans if desired

Notes

1. **Substitute for cake flour - 1 cup all purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons, add 2 tablespoons corn starch
2. **Substitute for buttermilk - 1 cup regular milk plus 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice. Allow to stand about 5 minutes and use as directed

O Taste and See https://otasteandseeblog.com/

Caramel Icing

2013-11-15 12:41:06

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Prep Time

15 min

Total Time

15 min

Prep Time

15 min

Total Time

15 min

Frosting

1. 3 sticks butter, at room temperature
2. 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
3. 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
4. 1/2 cup whole milk
5. 4 1/4 cups powdered sugar
6. 2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in both brown sugars and slowly add milk. Pour into bowl of electric mixer and powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time beating on medium speed until smooth. When all sugar in incorporated mix in vanilla.

By Paula Deen

Adapted from Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible

Adapted from Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible

O Taste and See https://otasteandseeblog.com/

Today I am Thankful For:  The Opportunity to Teach My Children

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