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East Texas Coconut Pecan Frosting

1⅓ cups evaporated milk
1⅓ cups granulated sugar
4 egg yolks; beaten
⅔ cups unsalted butter or margarine
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1⅓ cups flaked coconut
1⅓ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces1. Combine milk, granulated sugar, egg yolks, and butter in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil, and cook over medium heat 12 minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Add vanilla, coconut, and pecans; stir until frosting is cool and of spreading consistency.

Yield: 3½ cups

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East Texas Pecan Cake

2 cups unsalted butter; room temperature
4½ cups flour; sifted
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 eggs; separated
1 pound brown sugar; firmly packed
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons instant coffee
4 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder.
3. Grease bottom of 10-inch tube pan.
4. Separate eggs; beat yolks well; beat egg whites until stiff.
5. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add beaten egg yolks, mixing well.
6. Combine milk, vanilla and coffee dissolved in 3 Tablespoons hot water. Add alternately with dry ingredients.
7. Fold in pecans and egg whites. Pour into pan.
8. Bake in preheated oven for about 1½ hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Let cool in pan on cake rack. Remove from pan.

Serves 12

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Easy Pecan Cake

¾ pounds Pecan Valley Pecan Meal
6 eggs; separated
½ pounds granulated sugar
3 tablespoons very fine breadcrumbs1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl whip egg whites until they form soft peaks
3. Add yolks one at a time while whipping.
4. Add 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs and pecans mixing with a wooden spoon.
5. Butter a tube pan and sprinkle it with the rest of the breadcrumbs. Pour batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

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Elegant Tennessee Pecan Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
7 large eggs
¼ tablespoons cream of tartar
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup light molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pecan Valley Pecan Halves
Cream Frosting1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Separate eggs and save one egg white for the frosting.
3. Sift flour with salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice (substitute mace for allspice if preferred).
4. Beat 6 egg whites with cream of tartar at high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add corn syrup; continue beating until stiff peaks form. Do not under beat.
5. Beat 7 egg yolks with molasses and vanilla at high speed until thick.
6. Blend in dry ingredients. Fold this mixture into egg whites, using a rubber spatula to fold in gently but completely.
7. Pour into ungreased 10-inch tube pan.
8. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
9. Invert pan immediately and cool completely before removing from the pan.
10. Frost with cream frosting and decorate with pecan halves*.

Note: Frost cake as is or cut into 3 layers (using string or dental floss) if preferred and frost each layer as you stack.

Cream Frosting
1 egg white
1 cup heavy cream
¾ cups powdered sugar; sifted
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt1. In a large mixing bowl beat egg white until stiff.
2. In another bowl beat cream until thick. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon and salt to the cream. Fold gently into the egg white along with pecans.

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Ever-So-Easy Fruitcake

2½ cups all-purpose flour; unsifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs; slightly beaten
1 27-ounce jar None Such Ready-to-Use Mincemeat
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups mixed candied fruit
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces1. Preheat oven to 300ºF. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
2. Combine flour and baking soda; set aside.
3. In another bowl combine egg, None Such , condensed milk, candied fruit and pecans. Blend in dry ingredients. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour and 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Cool 15 minutes. Turn out of pan.
6. Garnish as desired.

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Figgy Espresso Cake

1 pound dried figs, stems removed
1¾ cups water
1 2-layer-size spice cake mix
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
½ cup brewed espresso or strong coffee
Sifted powdered sugar
1 recipe Honey Hard Sauce
1 recipe Honey Fruit Compote1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Generously grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan.
2. In a medium saucepan combine figs and water. Bring to boil; remove from heat and let stand, covered 10 minutes.
3. In a food processor (or half at a time in a blender) process until the figs are chopped.
4. Prepare cake mix according to package directions, substituting the fig mixture for the water. Stir in pecans. Pour into the prepared pan.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes
6. Remove cake from pan; set on wire rack placed over a shallow baking pan. Poke holes all over cake with a long-tined fork. Slowly spoon brewed espresso over cake. Cool to room temperature. Wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature up to 1 week. Before serving, sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar. Use a serrated knife to slice. Serve with Honey Hard Sauce and Honey Fruit Compute.

Makes 16 servings

Honey Hard Sauce
1 cup butter; softened
¼ cup honeyIn a mixing bowl beat butter and honey. Cover and chill.

Honey Fruit Compote
3½ cups water
½ cup sugar
2 3-inch sticks cinnamon
4 lady apples, halved if desired, or 2 medium cooking apples, cut crosswise and quartered (10 to 12 ounces total)
4 Seckel pears, halved if desired, or 2 medium pears, cut crosswise and quartered (11 ounces total)
2 cups dried apricot halves
½ cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
½ cup brandy
⅓ cup honey
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel1. In a large skillet combine water, sugar and cinnamon. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add apples, return to boiling. Cook, uncovered, 3 minutes. Add the pears and cook 4 to 5 minutes more or until pears are just tender. Drain, reserving liquid and stick cinnamon.
2. In two clean 2-quart jars divide apples, pears, apricots and cherries. Combined reserved liquid, brandy, honey and lemon peel; pour over fruit in jars. Add 1 reserved stick cinnamon to each jar. Cover and chill in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, turning jars occasionally.
Makes 2 quart jars (16 servings)

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Flourless Pecan Cake

¾ pounds Pecan Valley Pecan Meal
4 large eggs; separated
½ pounds granulated sugar; (1 cup and 1 tablespoon)
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Garnish:
Powdered sugar
Cocoa
Fresh berries1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat the egg yolks and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes with an electric mixer. Stir in lemon zest.
3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold a quarter of the whites into the egg mixture to loosen it.
4. Stir pecans into mixture until thoroughly blended, fold in remaining egg whites carefully to maintain light texture. Pour batter into a lightly buttered and floured 8-inch cake pan.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until firm and golden brown, cool cake on a rack before turning out and then alternately dust with powdered sugar and cocoa.
6. Slice and serve with fresh berries.

Note: This is a very simple recipe that depends entirely on the quality of the pecans. If you suspect your pecans have been in storage for a while, place them on a baking sheet in a preheated 375ºF oven and lightly bake for 3 to 4 minutes to “refresh’” their flavor. This is a great cake to serve with late harvest style Riesling or sweet orange Muscat wines.

Yield: one 8-inch cake

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Fresh Apple Pecan Cake

1½ cups vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 cups cake flour
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1¼ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoons sea salt
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1¼ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
3¼ cups apples; peeled; grated about 5 to 6 apples; suggest Granny Smith’s
3 tablespoons applejack
Apple Cider Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat oil and sugar in a large bowl until thick and opaque.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. In bowl mix together flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt, then stir in whole-wheat flour. Add to oil and egg mixture and mix until well blended.
5. Add pecans, the grated apples and applejack all at once and stir batter until well mixed. Pour batter into a 10-inch Bundt cake pan which has been greased and floured.
6. Bake in a preheated oven 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake cool for 10 minutes and then un-mold.
7. Serve warm with Apple Cider Sauce.
Apple Cider Sauce
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup brown sugar; firmly packed
1½ cups granulated sugar
¾ cups applejack
1 cup sweet cider; or apple juice
½ cup orange juice; fresh
½ cup evaporated milk1. Melt butter in a saucepan and stir in both sugars.
2. Add remaining ingredients, stir and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
4. Serve warm over sliced cake, about 3 tablespoons per serving.

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Fudge Cake with Pecans

1 cup unsalted butter; room temperature
4 eggs
8 squares (8 ounces) bitter chocolate; melted
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; chopped fine
4 cups granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 recipe Pecan Fudge Frosting1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Grease three 9-inch layer cake pans.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter, gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the beaten eggs and melted chocolate. Stir the dry ingredients and blend in alternately with the milk. Add the nuts and vanilla. Pour into prepared pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until the center of the cake feels solid.
5. Cool and remove the layers from the pan.
6. Spread frosting between the layers, and cover the top and sides of the cake

Yield: 12 servings

Pecan Fudge Frosting
½ pound unsalted butter
4 squares (4 ounces) bitter chocolate
1½ pounds powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces1. Melt the butter and chocolate together. Blend in the powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat well to spreading consistency. Add the pecans.

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Georgia Coconut Pecan Frosting

1½ cups evaporated milk
1½ cups granulated sugar
4 egg yolks; slightly beaten
¾ cups unsalted butter or margarine
1½ teaspoons vanilla
2 cups coconut
1½ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces1. Combine all ingredients in saucepan except coconut and pecans. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in coconut and pecans. Cool until thick enough to spread.

Makes 4½ cups

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