Pumpkin Praline Cake

This weekend was a cake-baking weekend. I visit my aunt and uncle a few times a month, and they always feed me so terribly well, I like to recompense them in some small way. And it usually ends up being the gift of cake. As well as the gift of a warm kitchen, aroma of cloves, and a pile of dishes (which I cleaned up, at some point). Sometimes I'll make dinner too, but this weekend was dedicated to the cake. Saturday night we had Thai take-out for dinner and pumpkin cake for dessert. It was an excellent combination. 

Eggs-no-more

If you need a cake for any reason, I suggest this Pumpkin Praline cake. It just needs pumpkin and pecans. And four eggs. And nearly every other ingredient in your pantry. It's also a cake in three parts: pumpkin cake, caramelly glaze and praline topping. This isn't a spur-of-the-moment cake, but it is time well spent (and the oven/stovetop use will warm up the house). The pecans take time on the stove and in the oven. The glaze is made stove-top. This is where the dishes come from.

The recipe my adaptation arose from calls for a bundt pan, but I split the batter into two nine-inch cake rounds. The result may not be quite so visually impressive, but it's more practical; easier to cut smaller pieces (to share more around, not because you'd really want a smaller piece) and more cake surface to receive the caramel. Even with two cakes, I still had leftover glaze. The glaze will also make an excellent dip for apples or ice cream topping, so no worries if you've got extra. Or just pour it all on the cake without reserve.

Adapted from Fine Cooking's Pumpkin-Pecan Cake

Pumpkin Praline Cake
Cake Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree*
1 cup pecan halves, toasted (I toasted them in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes)

Praline Ingredients:
2 TBSP packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp honey
3/4 cup pecan halves

Caramel Glaze Ingredients:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 TBSP light corn syrup
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions for cake:
--Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans (square or round is fine).
--Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. In a small bowl, mix together buttermilk and vanilla.
--Mix together butter and oil until well combined. Add sugar and beat until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in pumpkin.
--Pour buttermilk mixture into creamed batter and stir to combine. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Fold in pecans. Divide batter equally into bowl pans.
--Bake until a knife inserted into middle of cake comes out dry, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in their pans for at least half an hour before removing.

Directions for pralines:
--Heat brown sugar, honey and 1 TBSP water in a small saucepan over medium heat. When sugar has dissolved, add pecans and stir until coated. Spread pecans on an oiled sheet and bake in the 350 oven until nuts are shiny, 7-10 minutes. Transfer pecans to a piece of parchment to cool, at least 20 minutes.

Directions for caramel glaze:
--In a large saucepan, stir together brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves, about two minutes. Add cream and raise heat to boiling; cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and gently whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir until completely smooth.
--Let caramel stand until thick, three to eight minutes. Pour slowly and evenly over cakes while glaze is still warm. Top cake with candied pecans. Let glaze set at least 15 minutes before serving.

*I do use canned pumpkin. It simply packs a more pumpkin-y flavour than a pumpkin you baked and de-fleshed yourself. It is also less time consuming and tidier of course, but the best reason to use canned is that it'll give you a full pumpkin taste.