Caramel Butter Pecan Cake With Bourbon Frosting Food

CARAMEL BUTTER PECAN CAKE WITH BOURBON FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350° F. Grease or spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan.
• In a large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan. bake 28-33 minutes, until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely.
• Using the handle of a clean wooden spoon, poke holes in the cake, almost to the bottom of the pan, about every inch. Place dulce de leche in microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for about 30 seconds. Stir and see if it's pourable. If not continue to microwave in 10-second intervals, stopping to stir. Pour the dulce de leche over the top of the cake using a rubber spatula to spread it out and fill the holes.
• 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, bourbon, and salt, then beat at medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 minutes longer. Beat the toasted pecans into the frosting.
• Spread frosting over cake layer and top with toffee bits or toasted pecan pieces. Slice and serve. Store cake covered in the refrigerator.

PECAN CARAMEL BOURBON CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, spices and baking powder. Add one egg and beat until smooth. Scrape the bowl and add the remaining eggs, one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth and fluffy after each egg is added.
• Add the flour, about 1/3 at a time, alternately with the liquids (milk and bourbon). Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition. Blend in the nuts, if you're using them.
• Grease and flour your pan(s); use one (2.8L, 11 cup) bundt-style pan, a 10-inch tube pan, or two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans. Preheat your oven to 180°C
• Scoop the batter into the pan(s) and level it with a spatula. Bake the cake for 70 to 75 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, and let it cool it in the pan(s) for 10 minutes.
• Syrup: While the cake is cooling, heat the butter, sugar and bourbon together in a small saucepan set over low heat. Stir until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved, then bring the mixture to a boil. CAUTION: The bourbon is likely to burst into flame when it reaches the boiling point. This process, while quite impressive, calls for a few notes of caution. Don't lean over the pan while you're stirring; it also might be a good idea to have a lid handy to quiet the flame. This process will burn off the alcohol. When the flame goes out, remove the glaze from the heat. Note: the bourbon may not ever burst into flame; that's OK. Just boil it for about 15 seconds, then remove it from the heat.
• After the cake has cooled for 10 minutes, turn it out of the pan and onto a rack, then poke small toothpick-sized holes all over the top surface. Brush the top of the cake with the still-warm glaze. It'll drizzle down into the holes to make a very moist cake.
• You can certainly eat the cake as soon as it's cooled, but it does improve with a "rest period" of 1 or 2 days. Do let the cake cool for several hours, to allow the glaze to set before wrapping well in plastic wrap. (No need to refrigerate it.) Before serving, dust the cake with a non-melting sugar, if desired, or ice with Bourbon White Chocolate Ganache. Yield: one cake or two "loaves," about 32 servings.

BOURBON PECAN POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Combine butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer and blend until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating constantly.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
• Blend sour cream and bourbon.
• Alternately add flour and sour cream mixture to batter.
• Add pecans.
• Grease bottom and sides of tube or bunt pan.
• Pour in batter and bake at 325 degrees for about one hour and 30 minutes.
• Test cake frequently after first hour and 15 minutes for doneness.
• Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes before turning out on wire rack.
• To prepare glaze, combine sugar and bourbon.
• Stir while gradually adding water.
• Add only enough water to make a pourable glaze without allowing mixture to become too thin.
• Pour glaze over top of warm cake and let dribble down sides.

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.