Women in Food

Praline Cake with Buttercream Icing

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter, softened, room temperature

½ cup vegetable oil

1-½ cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1-¼ cup buttermilk, room temperature

Buttercream icing, see below

Praline topping, see below

Pecan halves, for decorating

Whole pralines, for decorating

Buttercream Icing

Makes enough to frost a 2-layer cake

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup shortening

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

¼ cup milk

Praline Topping

Makes about 1-1/2 cups

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup butter

¼ cup milk

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two deep 8-inch round cake pans by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly greasing the sides. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, canola oil and sugar until creamy and well-combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until thoroughly combined after each addition.

Stir in vanilla extract.

In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

Using a spatula and gently hand-mixing, alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined after each addition. Evenly divide batter into your prepared cake pans. Bake until the surface springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with few moist crumbs (no wet batter), 30 to 35 minutes.

Allow cakes to cool in their cake pans for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Frost cake using buttercream icing.

Pour praline topping over fully frosted cake and decorate with pralines and pecans.

Buttercream Icing

Cream room temperature butter with a hand mixer, the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or a wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract.

Pour in milk and beat for an additional 3 to 4 minutes until smooth.

Praline Topping

Bring light brown sugar, brown sugar, and butter and milk to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly. Use immediately.