| A Great gift for holidays is a homemade pecan | | | | Beat together butter (1 1/2 sticks) and brown |
| cake. Face it, everyone loves cake, and when | | | | sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer (fitted |
| they're homemade, you really can get it any | | | | with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) at |
| better. Whip up one of these cakes made with | | | | medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 |
| Roasted Pecans and you'll leave your relatives | | | | minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well |
| begging for the recipe! Speaking of roasted | | | | after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce |
| pecans being used as ingredients in recipes, have | | | | speed to low, then add flour mixture and sour |
| you ever tasted a pecan spice cake with cream | | | | cream alternately in batches, beginning and ending |
| cheese frosting? There are no other words for it | | | | with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just |
| but delicious and luscious. It combines several | | | | smooth. Mix in pecans until just combined. Spoon |
| traditional southern tastes: pecans, spices, and | | | | batter evenly into pans, smoothing tops, then rap |
| cream cheese frosting. So yummy! And can be | | | | pans once or twice to expel any air bubbles. Bake |
| either served at a family dinner or an elegant | | | | until pale golden and a wooden pick inserted in |
| party. CAKE: - 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted | | | | center of cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 |
| butter, cut into 1-inch pieces and softened, plus | | | | minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pans on racks. Run a |
| additional for buttering pans - 2 3/4 cups cake | | | | thin knife around edge of pans, then invert racks |
| flour (not self-rising) - 2 teaspoons baking powder | | | | over pans and re-invert cakes onto racks to cool |
| - 1 teaspoon baking soda - 3/4 teaspoon salt - 1 | | | | completely. Beat together cream cheese, butter, |
| tablespoon ground cinnamon - 1 1/4 teaspoons | | | | and zest in a bowl with clean beaters at |
| freshly grated nutmeg - 1 teaspoon ground ginger | | | | medium-high speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Sift |
| - 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice - 1/4 teaspoon | | | | in confectioners sugar and stir with a wooden |
| ground cloves - 1 1/2 cups packed light brown | | | | spoon until just combined, then add lemon juice |
| sugar - 3 large eggs at room temperature 30 | | | | and beat at medium-high speed until frosting is |
| minutes - 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract - 1 | | | | smooth. Halve each cake layer horizontally with a |
| 1/2 cups sour cream - 3 / 4 cup roasted pecans | | | | long serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion. |
| - finely chopped FROSTING: - 3 (8-ounce) | | | | Put 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake stand or large |
| packages cream cheese, softened - 1 1/2 sticks | | | | plate and spread with about 3/4 cup frosting. |
| (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened - 1 tablespoon | | | | Stack remaining cake layers, spreading about 3/4 |
| finely grated lemon zest - 3 3/4 cups | | | | cup frosting on each layer and ending with top |
| confectioners sugar (from a 1-pound package) - 1 | | | | cake layer cut side down. Spread top and side of |
| tablespoon fresh lemon juice - 1 1/3 cups roasted | | | | cake with remaining frosting (about 3 1/2 cups) |
| pecans - finely chopped. PREP: Put oven rack in | | | | and coat side of cake with pecans (1 1/3 cups), |
| middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. | | | | gently pressing to help them adhere. |
| Butter and flour cake pans, knocking out excess | | | | Tanner's Pecan is owned and operated by Danny |
| flour. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, | | | | Fox and Michelle Parks and offers a variety of |
| baking soda, salt, and spices into a large bowl. | | | | pecans and pecan treats. |