Pear Spice Cake Wcream Cheese Frosting Pecan Praline Topping Recipes

AUTUMN SPICE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch round baking pans well with non-stick baking spray then lightly dust with flour and shake out excess.
• Wrap cake strips around pan if you have them (for a more level cake). Set pans aside.
• In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves for 20 seconds, set aside.
• Pour brown sugar into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Break up brown sugar with fingertips until no clumps remain.
• Pour in vegetable oil and applesauce, set mixer with paddle attachment and blend until well combined (occasionally stop and scrape bowl throughout mixing process).
• Mix in eggs and vanilla.
• Add in 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined, then blend in buttermilk, then add remaining 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix until well combined.
• Divide mixture evenly among two prepared baking pans. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 28 - 32 minutes.
• Allow to cool in pans about 5 - 10 minutes then run a knife around edges to ensure cake is loose and invert upside down onto a wire rack to cool.
• Cool completely then level tops of cakes as needed. Frost with cream cheese frosting, sprinkle pecans around edges if desired.
• For the frosting: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream butter and cream cheese until smooth.
• Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until well blended***.

OLD FASHIONED PEAR SPICE CAKE [WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING]

Steps:

• In the large bowl of an electric mixture, combine sugar, oil, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger salt and flour.
• Mix to blend; then beat at medium-high speed for 5 minutes.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold pears and nuts into batter.
• Spread in an ungreased 9 by 13 inch baking pan.
• Bake in a 350 oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (50-55 minutes).
• Let cool in pan on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, prepare Cream Cheese Frosting.
• For frosting:.
• Beat [butter, cream cheese and vanilla] until fluffy.
• Gradually beat in powdered sugar until frosting is of good spreading consistency.
• Spread frosting over cool cake.

PEAR SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat over to 350°F In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and flour. Beat in eggs. Add vanilla and pear juice. Beat in spices and pears, mix until well incorporated, but still chunky. Fold in by hand, toasted nuts. Pour into greased bundt pan. Bake in oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. To make glaze, stir together all ingredients and drizzle over cake while hot.
• Serving suggestions: Serve warm with hot coffee or sliced cold and spread with cream cheese, to make a tea sandwich.

PEAR SPICE BUNDT CAKE WITH WALNUT PRALINE TOPPING

Steps:

• Cake:.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F Butter and flour bundt pan.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
• Beat together butter, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 4 with a handheld. Add yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla.
• Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in batches, mixing well after each addition.
• Fold in pear pieces and chopped walnuts.
• Beat egg whites in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold stiff peaks, then fold whites into batter gently but thoroughly.
• Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top, and bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then invert onto rack and cool completely.
• Walnut Praline Topping:.
• Stir golden brown sugar, whipping cream and 1/2 cup butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until smooth. Boil 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in walnut pieces. Spoon warm topping over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PECAN PRALINE TOPPING

Steps:

• Melt butter over medium heat in a small pan. Stir in brown sugar, whipping cream and vanilla.
• Cook and stir until it reaches a full boil then reduce heat and boil gently for three minutes stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and stir in chopped pecans (and shot of rum if serving the adult version). Serve warm.

PECAN PRALINE CAKE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper; butter paper. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in chopped pecans. Divide batter between pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. If necessary, run small knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off waxed paper. Cool cakes completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil and store at room temperature.)
• For syrup:
• Stir 3 tablespoons water and sugar in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Remove from heat. Stir in bourbon. Cool.
• Using 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom as aid, transfer 1 cake layer, flat side up, to platter. Brush some of syrup over top of cake. Spread 1 cup cream cheese frosting over top. Top with second cake layer, flat side up. Brush top and sides of cake with remaining syrup. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange Pecan Praline Topping all over top of cake, mounding slightly in center. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

PECAN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
• Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended.
• Beat at high speed until smooth; stir in pecans.

PECAN PRALINE TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter rimmed baking sheet. Using fork, beat egg white and 1 tablespoon water in medium bowl until foamy. Add brown sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Add pecan halves and toss to coat. Spread pecan mixture on prepared baking sheet (some egg white-sugar mixture will flow out onto baking sheet). Bake until nuts are deep brown and crisp, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven; stir to loosen nuts from baking sheet. Cool nuts completely on sheet. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

PECAN SPICE LAYER CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

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.

PEAR CAKE WITH LEMON-HONEY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices in large bowl. Make well in center of flour mixture. Add oil, eggs, milk and vanilla; whisk just until evenly moistened. Fold in pears and nuts; divide between pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks.
• For frosting:
• Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon peel in large bowl until fluffy. Add honey and beat until smooth. If frosting is very soft, chill until firm enough to spread.
• Cut around cakes; turn out of pans. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with second layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.