Butter Pecan Cake With Apricots Food

APRICOT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the fruits, nuts, honey, water and lemon juice; set aside. , In another large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Fold into fruit mixture. Combine dry ingredients; gradually fold into the fruit mixture until evenly coated. Pour into two greased and waxed paper-lined 9x5-in. loaf pans. , With a shallow pan of water in the bottom of the oven, bake at 275° for 2-1/2 hours or until cake tests done. Cover with foil during the last 30 minutes. , Cool 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Remove waxed paper and wrap each cake in foil. Place in plastic bags and store in a cool, dry place.

BUTTER PECAN CAKE WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease or spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs and apricots with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.
• Bake 33 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Spread preserves evenly over top of cake. Spread frosting over preserves. Garnish with pecan halves. Store loosely covered.

BOURBON PECAN CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the bourbon, milk and vanilla in a separate bowl (it may get clumpy looking--that's ok) and set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and coconut oil until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add 1 3/4 cups of the granulated sugar and beat until fluffy, about 1 more minute. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well between additions. Add the dry ingredients in four batches, alternating with the wet mixture, starting and ending with the dry. Stir in the pecans.
• In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and whip to stiff peaks, about 5 minutes total. Fold the egg whites into the batter in thirds.
• Pour into a bundt pan and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool before turning the cake out of the pan.
• For the glaze: In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, bourbon and 2 tablespoons water. Once the cake is cool, top it with the glaze and sprinkle with the chopped pecans.

THE BEST BUTTER PECAN CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the pecans: Preheat the oven to 350°.
• Put the 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter in a shallow baking pan with the chopped pecans and put the pan in the oven for 15- 20 minutes, stirring the pecans and melted butter every few minutes, until the fragrance is wonderfully toasty.
• Watch carefully near the end to avoid burning.
• Remove from pan and set aside.
• Grease and flour three 8 or 9-inch round layer cake pans.
• Prepare the cake: In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the 3/4 cup (1 1/2) sticks of butter.
• Beat in the 2 cups of sugar, creaming well.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Add the 2 teaspoons of vanilla to the milk.
• Beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds, alternating with the milk mixture.
• Fold in 1 1/3 cups of the butter-toasted pecans into the cake batter.
• Divide batter equally into the prepared pans.
• Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Cool and remove from pans.
• Prepare the frosting: Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat and stir in the flour.
• Stir until all of the flour has been moistened or at least colored a little by the butter.
• Stir in the milk just a little at a time, stirring constantly and incorporating all the milk each time before adding more, working to incorporate all the flour and avoid lumps.
• Continue until all the milk is in and the mixture is thickened and smooth.
• Transfer to the small bowl of an electric mixer, and beat to remove any lumps you missed.
• Cool completely.
• When the flour mixture is cool, beat in the teaspoon of vanilla, then the softened butter.
• Add the 1 cup of sugar, and beat 2 minutes at medium speed, until the mixture is fluffy and no graininess from sugar remains.
• Fold in the fat-free Cool Whip and the remaining 2/3 cup of butter-toasted pecans.
• Fill and frost the top of the cake.

POUND CAKE WITH GRAND MARNIER-POACHED APRICOTS

Steps:

• For cake:
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°F. Butter and flour pan. Whisk salt, cream of tartar, cardamom, and 3 cups flour in a medium bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat 2 cups butter until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and gradually add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until very light and creamy, 6-8 minutes longer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend between additions. Beat in cream and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until mostly combined. Finish mixing with a rubber spatula just until combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake, rotating halfway through, until top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 70-80 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cake cool completely before turning out.
• DO AHEAD: Cake can be baked 3 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.
• For apricots and assembly:
• Bring Grand Marnier, granulated sugar, and 2/3 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add apricots and ginger, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently until apricots are very soft, 20-25 minutes. Let cool.
• Remove ginger just before serving. Serve cake with apricots and syrup and whipped cream.
• DO AHEAD: Apricots can be poached 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.

BUTTER PECAN CAKE

Steps:

• Pour melted butter in a baking pan. Stir in pecans. Toast at 350° for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. , In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in vanilla and 1 cup toasted pecans. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. , Meanwhile, for frosting, cream butter and sugar. Add milk and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy. Add additional milk if needed. Stir in remaining toasted pecans. Spread between the layers and over the top and sides of the cake.

BUTTER PECAN CAKE WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. (325 degrees for dark or non-stick pan). Grease bottom only of a 9 x 13 pan with shortening or cooking spray. I use Pam Baking Spray.
• 2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs and chopped apricots with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.
• 3. Bake 37 - 43 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
• 4. Spread apricot preserves evenly over top of cake. Spread frosting over preserves. Garnish with pecan halves. Store at room temp, loosely covered.

APRICOT-PECAN UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Make topping
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and stir until mixture begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Pour into 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Spread mixture over bottom of pan. Sprinkle nuts over. Place each cherry half, cut side down, into pitted center of each apricot half. Arrange apricot halves, cherry side down, in concentric circles in pan.
• Make cake
• Whisk flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and creamy. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with milk in 3 additions.
• Spoon batter over apricots. Bake cake until top is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer pan to rack. Run knife around pan sides. Cool cake on rack 10 minutes. Place plate over pan; invert cake onto plate. Gently lift off pan.
• Set cake pan over low heat and whisk any sugar mixture remaining in pan until syrupy, about 30 seconds. Pour syrup over cake. Serve warm with whipped cream