Sunday, November 29, 2009

Praline Pumpkin Torte



Between October and December, if my mother needs a dessert suggestion she knows she will hear this from me. I love this cake.

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
3 tablespoons whipping cream
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Cake:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, which I never have so I use a combination of cinnamon, ground cloves, and nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1 3/4 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, cream. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour into three well-greased 9-inch round baking pans. Sprinkle with pecans; cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and oil. Add pumpkin and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; add to pumpkin mixture and beat just until blended. Carefully spoon the batter over the brown sugar mixture. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cakes for 5 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Place one cake layer, praline side up, on a serving plate. In a mixing bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Spread one-third of whipped cream over cake. Top with second cake layer and spread with one-third of whipped cream, and repeat with the third layer. Sprinkle with additional pecans if desired. Store in the refrigerator. Serves 12 to 14.

2 comments:

Keetha said...

I'm noticing in the photo the torte has two layers whereas the recipe calls for three. I think the original recipe called for two 9-inch layers but Mom and I found those were two really full cake pans to slide in the oven and that the cake worked just as well with three layers. Either way works.

Skirt in the Kitchen said...

It looks a m a z i n g, can't wait to bake this recipe in the next few days. What cookbook is this out of, or is this a family recipe? Let me know so I can post this on Skirt in the Kitchen, my running food blog. Love your foods on here! Susan