Spiced pecan cake

1 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 cups Coarsely chopped pecans
¼ cup Packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
1 cup Unsalted butter
2 teaspoons Plus 2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups Sugar
3 cups Sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Baking powder
1 cup Plus 2 tbsp milk
3 Egg whites

Directions

Grease and flour three 8" round cake pans (1½" deep). Place the pecans in a large ungreased roasting pan. Roast nuts @ 425 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Watch, carefully, lower heat, if necessary. Meanwhile, in a medium size bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Then, mix in 4 tbsp of butter. Add 2 cups roasted pecans to the butter mixture. Coat them thoroughly. Return mixture to the pan and roast for 10 minutes more, stirring once or twice. Stir in 2 tbsp vanilla extract and roast 5 minutes more.

Remove from oven and set aside. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream ¾ cup butter and 1 ½ cups sugar on high speed until very light and fluffy, about 6 to 8 minutes. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. In a third bowl, combine milk and remaining 2 tsp vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture, alternately, to the butter, beating on high speed until well blended and scraping the bowl sides between additions. Stir in the pecans. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites on high speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add remaining ½ cup sugar and continue beating until mixture holds peaks, about 2 minutes. Gently, fold egg white mixture into the batter, one third at a time. Spoon batter into prepared cake pans and spread batter so that it is slightly lower in the center. Bake @ 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool 1 minute, then carefully remove from the pans and place on a wire rack. Cool thoroughly. Glaze. Spread generously with frosting between layers and on top and sides.

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