Cake Recipes
Praline Carrot Cake
Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients
Cake
- 6 medium carrots
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
- 6 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
Praline Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Candied Pecan Halves
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1/2 cup pecan halves
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cake: In a medium saucepan, cook carrots, covered, in a moderate amount of boiling water until very tender, about 20 minutes.
- Drain; cool slightly and chop in food processor, using several pulses, or coarsely mash with potato masher; there should be about 1 1/2 cups.
- Grease and lightly flour three 9-inch round cake pans; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; add oil, eggs, pineapple and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed, about one minute, to combine all ingredients.
- Fold in the pecans, coconut and mashed carrots.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes before loosening edges and removing from pans.
- Cool cakes thoroughly on wire racks.
- While cake is baking and cooling, prepare Praline Sauce, Candied Pecan Halves and Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Praline Sauce: In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the utter.
- Add the brown sugar and cream. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a full boil. Reduce heat and boil gently over entire surface for three minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in vanilla extract; cool.
- Candied Pecan Halves: Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine brown sugar and orange juice.
- Add pecan halves, stirring to coat.
- Spread in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking pan.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until nuts are browned and syrup is bubbly, stirring once. Pour out onto a lightly greased baking sheet, separating into single nuts.
- Cool on wire rack.
- Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter, cinnamon and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add about half the confectioners' sugar, beating well.
- Gradually beat in enough of the remaining confectioners' sugar to reach spreading consistency.
- Assembly: Place one of the cooled cake layers, top down, on cake plate. Use about 1 cup of the frosting to pipe or spoon a rim about an inch wide and half-inch high around outer edge of cake layer. Spoon about 2 tablespoons frosting in the center 1 1/2 inches of that layer, leaving an unfrosted area or ring. Spoon and spread about half of the Praline Sauce into the ring (sauce will not fill ring).
- Add a second cake layer, top down, and repeat frosting and sauce as above.
- Add final cake layer, top up. Frost top and sides of layers with remaining frosting. Garnish top with candied pecan halves.
- Store cake in refrigerator.