Butter Pecan Cake

I made this cake over the weekend, and oh my was it ever delightful.  I'm usually not a super fan of nuts, but I knew that I had to give this one a shot.  And I was right.  A fair amount of the frosting may not have actually made it to the final cake.  Oops.  Yeah, it was that good.  The original recipe for this cake makes 3 layers.  Whoa.  My little family can't really handle a three layer cake, so I reworked the recipe and made it a two layer cake.  I made the original amount of frosting, and it worked out just fine.  The cake is deliciously moist and not too sweet, which is perfect for the buttery pecan frosting.

Butter Pecan Cake

Frosting:
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
16 ounces (it should equal about 3 3/4 cups, but I measured by weight) powdered sugar
11 ounces cream cheese, cold

Cake:
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
5 Tablespoons boiling water
2/3 cup (10 2/3 Tablespoons) butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour, loosely measured

First, make the frosting.  In a large skillet, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.  Add the chopped pecans and cook, stirring frequently until toasted, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Remove pecans from heat and let cool completely.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and vanilla.  Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until incorporated (mixture will be dry and possibly crumbly).  Add the cold cream cheese and beat until blended and smooth.  Beat in the cooled pecans until evenly distributed.  Cover and chill frosting for about 1 hour, or until ready to use.

For the cake, preheat the oven to 350F.  Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper then lightly grease the parchment paper.  Set aside.

Place the chopped white chocolate in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over it.  Let sit until softened, then stir until smooth.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.  

Stir together the buttermilk and baking soda.  Add one cup of flour to the creamed mixture and beat until it is partially incorporated.  Carefully beat in the buttermilk, followed by the remaining 1 cup of flour. Beat until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.  

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.  Fold the egg whites into the cake batter.  Pour the batter evenly in the prepared pans and smooth the tops.  Bake the cakes for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in the pans for 5 to 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread with about 1/3 of the frosting.  Place the second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.  Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy