Southern Pecan Praline Cake

Gather your ingredients:

Cake:

  • 2 sticks of butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Icing:

  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 3 large eggs yolks
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • Get to baking:
    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    2. Grease and flour three nine-inch round cake pans.  Make sure you grease and flour them or use non-stick spray specifically for baking because these cakes will stick.
    3. Mix the butter and sugars together until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
    4. Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix into butter and sugar mixture then add the milk and vanilla extract.
    5. Divide batter evenly between the pans and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
    6. Cool layers in their pans over a rack for ten minutes, then loosen and turn out layers directly onto racks for cooling.  Allow layers to cool.
    7. While cakes are cooling, start the icing by melting the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in granulated sugar and light brown sugar. (Sugars will not dissolve).
    8. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the evaporated milk until smooth, then whisk this mixture into the saucepan with the sugar mixture. Return saucepan to a medium heat setting and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick, shiny and caramel-like, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and pecans.
    9. Cool icing for about 30 minutes until it can be spread, then spread evenly between cooled cake layers and over the top and sides of the cake.
    10. ENJOY!