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Banana-Pecan Snack Cake

1 package Snack Cake Mix
1 egg
⅓ cup vegetable oil
½ cup mashed; ripe banana
½ cup buttermilk; milk; or water
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Pour Snack Cake Mix into an ungreased 8- or 9-inch square baking pan.
3. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, beating with a fork to blend. Stir into snack cake mix until blended.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a rack.
5. Place a paper doily on the hot cake, dust with powdered sugar and then remove the doily.

Makes 9 servings

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Butter Pecan Cake

⅓ cup margarine
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
3 cups all-purpose flour; divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; divided
1 cup light-colored corn syrup
½ cup firmly brown sugar; firmly packed
1 egg
2 egg whites
¾ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable cooking spray
¼ cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar; firmly packed
2 teaspoons skim milk1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a small saucepan melt margarine over medium heat. Add pecans, and sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Drain pecans, reserving margarine; set margarine aside.
3. Combine pecans and 1 tablespoon flour; stir well, and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine reserved margarine, corn syrup, and ½ cup brown sugar beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add Egg; beat well. Add egg whites, and beat well. Combine remaining 3 cups flour, baking soda, and salt; add to brown sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix after each addition. Stir in pecan mixture and vanilla. Pour Batter into a 12-cup Bundt pan coated with cooking spray.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool on a wire rack.
6. Combine powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and skim milk; stir well. Drizzle over cake.

Yield: 16 servings

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Buttermilk Pecan Fruitcake

4½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups dried pears; chopped
2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 cup unsalted butter
3 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs; separated
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups buttermilk
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Grease and flour 4 loaf pans.
3. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add pears and pecans; stir again. Set aside.
4. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat again. Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk, blending well after each addition.
5. With clean dry beaters, beat egg whites until they stand in firm, glossy, moist peaks. Fold ⅓ egg whites into batter to lighten it, and then fold in remaining whites. Fill each pan ⅔ of batter.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF.
7. Bake in a preheated oven for 65 minutes, until tester inserted in center of each cake comes out clean. Ten minutes before cakes are done, rotate pans back to front to cakes on each rack brown evenly.
8. Let cakes cool five minutes on wire racks, then turn out and finish cooling right side up on wire racks.
9. Before serving, decorate top of fruitcakes with whole nuts and mixed candied fruit peel.
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Canadian Maple Pecan Cake

2⅔ cups cake flour
¾ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cups buttermilk
½ cup pure maple syrup
14 ounces unsalted butter; at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1¼ teaspoons maple extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; finely chopped
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup marshmallow crème
Pecan Valley Pecan Halves for decoration1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, soda, salt and baking powder.
3. In another bowl, combine buttermilk and maple syrup.
4. With an electric mixer set at med-low speed, beat 6 ounces of the butter (12 tablespoons) and the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
5. Beat in 1 teaspoon of the maple extract and the vanilla.
6. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
7. Reduce speed and beat in flour mixture in three parts, alternating with buttermilk mixture.
8. Stir in the chopped pecans.
9. Pour into prepared pans.
10. Bake in a preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
11. Cool 10 minutes in pans. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
12. Meanwhile, sift powdered sugar.
13. With an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat remaining 8 ounces butter (16 tablespoons) until creamy.
14. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in powdered sugar.
15. Beat in remaining ¼ teaspoon maple extract.
16. With a spatula, fold in marshmallow crème.
17. Put on cake layer on a serving plate. Spread top with about ¾ cup frosting. Top with remaining layer. Spread top and sides with remaining frosting. Decorate with pecan halves.

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Caramel-Filled Butter Pecan Cake

1 cup shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted cake flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 recipe Caramel Filling
1 recipe Butter Cream Frosting
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
Pecan Valley Pecan Halves for garnish 1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Cream shortening; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix after each addition. Stir in flavorings.
3. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans, and line with wax paper; grease wax paper. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 22 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
6. Spread Caramel Filling between layers and on top of cake.
7. Spread Butter Cream Frosting on sides of cake.
8. Press chopped pecans into frosting on sides of cake.
9. Garnish top with pecan halves.

Yield: one 3 layer cake

Caramel Filling
3 cups granulated sugar; divided
¾ cups milk
1 egg; beaten
Pinch of sea salt
½ cup unsalted butter or margarine; cut up1. In a heavy saucepan sprinkle ½ cup sugar; place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and syrup is light golden brown.
2. In a bowl, combine remaining 2½ cups sugar, milk, egg, and salt stirring well; stir in butter.
3. Stir butter mixture into hot caramelized sugar. (The mixture will tend to lump, becoming smooth with further cooking.) Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until a candy thermometer registers 230ºF (15 to 20 minutes).
4. Cool 5 minutes. Beat with a wooden spoon to almost spreading consistency, and spread between layers and on top of cake.

Yield: about 2½ cup.

Butter Cream Frosting
⅓ cup unsalted butter or margarine; softened
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons to 3 tablespoons half and half
½ teaspoon vanilla extract1. Cream butter at medium speed of an electric mixer; gradually add sugar alternately with half and half, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla. Yield: about 1½ cup

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Caramel-Glazed Apple-Pecan Pound Cake

2½ cups green apples; chopped
1 cup unsalted butter; softened
1½ cups granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla
5 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
¾ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 recipe Caramel Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. In skillet, lightly sauté apple chunks in 2 tablespoons butter. Set aside.
3. In bowl, cream remaining butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
4. In bowl sift together flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir into butter mixture until blended.
5. Fold in apples and pecans. Spoon into greased and floured Bundt pan.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour, or until wood pick inserted near center comes out clean. Glaze with Caramel Sauce.Caramel Sauce
½ cup brown sugar; firmly packed
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Combine brown sugar, sugar and whipping cream in medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Cook and stir, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in butter until melted. Cool. Then drizzle over cake.

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Caramel-Pecan Cake

3 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounce sweet cooking chocolate
¾ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons margarine; softened
2 egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cake flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 egg whites
1 recipe caramel topping
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 recipe Caramel Topping1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
2. Grease and flour a 13-inch-by-9-inch-by-2-inch rectangular pan.
3. Pour boiling water on chocolate, stirring until melted; cool.
4. In large bowl beat sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time.
5. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla on low speed.
6. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt alternately with buttermilk, beating after each addition, until batter is smooth.
7. Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into batter. Pour into pan.
8. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Spread Caramel Topping over hot cake; sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans.
10. Continue baking for about 20 minutes longer or until chocolate chips melt.
11. Cool before serving.

Yield: 12 servings

Caramel Topping
½ cup brown sugar; firmly packed
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup whipping cream
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1. Combine brown sugar, sugar and whipping cream in medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Cook and stir, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in butter until melted. Cool. Then drizzle over cake.
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Carrot Pecan Cake

3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 pounds carrots
1 cup unsalted butter; softened
1 cup light brown sugar; firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 cup seedless raisins
Cream Cheese Glaze
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

1. Lightly grease and flour a 10-by-4-inch tube pan.
2. Sift flour with baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
3. Wash and pare carrots; grate on medium grater or use coarse blade of food processor. Should measure 4 cups.
4. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
5. In large bowl of mixer, at high speed, beat butter and brown and granulated sugars, occasionally scraping side of bowl with rubber scraper, until light and fluffy—about 4 minutes.
6. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition until smooth and light.
7. In a small mixing bowl, combine lemon and orange peels and juices.
8. At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths), alternately with lemon-orange mixture (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until smooth—about 1 minute.
9. With wooden spoon, stir in grated carrot, nuts and raisins; mix well. Turn into the prepared tube pan; spread evenly.
10. Bake in a preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
11. Cool in pan on wire rack 20 minutes, to cool slightly.
12. Meanwhile, make Cream-Cheese Glaze.
13. After cake has cooled, gently loosen edge of cake with spatula.
14. Turn out of pan onto rack. Spread glaze over top of the warm cake, letting it run down side of cake. Carefully remove cake to cake platter. Sprinkle chopped pecans around top edge of cake

Serves 12

Cream-Cheese Glaze
8 ounces cream cheese; softened
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1½ cups powdered sugar

1. In medium bowl, combine cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon peel and powdered sugar.
2. With portable electric mixer at high speed, beat mixture until smooth. Set aside.

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Cherry Nectarine Upside Down Cake

5 tablespoons butter, softened, divided
¼ cup brown sugar; firmly packed
1 cup pitted sweet cherries
2 cups thinly sliced peeled fresh nectarines
1 teaspoon lemon juice
⅔ cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract 1 cup plus
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
⅔ cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; toasted and ground1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter; pour into a 9-in. round cake pan; sprinkle with brown sugar.
3. Place a few cherries in center and arrange remaining cherries around edge of pan.
4. Toss nectarines with lemon juice. Arrange nectarines in a circular pattern over sugar, overlapping slices; set aside,
5. In a mixing bowl, cream sugar and remaining butter until light.
6. Add egg and extracts; mix well.
7. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.
8. Add almonds; mix well. Spoon over fruit,.
9. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
10. Cool for 10 minutes.
11. Run a knife around edge of pan; invert cake onto a serving plate.
12. Serve warm.

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Chocolate Orange Fruitcake with Pecans

2½ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; toasted
1 cup dried black mission figs; chopped and packed
1 cup pitted prunes; chopped and packed
1 cup pitted dates; chopped and packed
½ cup frozen orange juice concentrate; thawed
¼ cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cups unsweetened cocoa powder; packed
2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pounds dark brown sugar; firmly packed
6 ounce bittersweet or semisweet chocolate; coarsely chopped
½ cup unsalted butter; room temperature
4 ounce cream cheese; room temperature
4 large eggs; room temperature
¾ cups purchased prune butter6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pounds bittersweet (not un-sweetened) or semisweet chocolate
6 tablespoons orange juice concentrate; thawed
Chopped candied fruit peel (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Position rack in bottom third of oven. Generously butter and flour 12-cup angel food cake pan.
2. Combine toasted pecans, chopped dried figs, prunes, dates, orange juice concentrate, Grand Marnier and grated orange peel in large bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Sift flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt into medium bowl.
4. Combine brown sugar and 6 ounces chocolate in processor and chop into small pieces.
5. Using electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese in large bowl to blend. Add chocolate mixture and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in prune butter. Stir in ¼ of dry ingredients. Mix in fruit mixture and remaining dry ingredients in 3 additions each. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
6. Bake cake in a preheated oven for about 1 hour 55 minutes until tester inserted near center with a few moist crumbs attached. Cool 5 minutes.
7. Turn pan over onto rack; let stand 5 minutes. Lift off pan; cool cake completely. Wrap cake in plastic and store at room temperature 2 days.
8. For glaze: melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate; stir until melted and smooth. Whisk in orange juice concentrate.
9. Place cake on rack. Spread some of chocolate glaze thickly over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
10. Spread remaining chocolate glaze over cake, covering completely. Sprinkle with chopped candied fruit peel, if desired. Refrigerate cake 30 minutes to set glaze.

Fruitcake can be prepared 3 weeks ahead. Wrap cake in plastic and refrigerate. Yield: 16 servings.

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