Flashback to 14th Feb 2008.

While we - my daughter, a friend and I - were waiting for the lift at the lobby in our condo, we saw a flower delivery guy with a huge bouquet at the security counter.

Me (laughing): Some lucky babe is getting some very very expensive roses today!

My friend: Well these could be for you!

Me: Nah, no way, Terradaze knows I don't care too much for Valentine's Day.


Well, by now, you would have guessed that the roses were indeed for yours truly. Imagine how terrible I felt that I hadn't bought/made anything for the husband!

So this year, I baked him this cake.



Pecan Butter Cake

Ingredients:

unsalted butter 125 gms
caster sugar 1/2 cup
raw sugar 1/4 cup (use an additional 2 tbsps if you are not planning to use any frosting at all)
eggs 2, lightly beaten
pecans, ground 3/4 cup
self raising flour 1 1/2 cups
salt 1/4 tsp
milk 1/2 cup
vanilla essence 1 tsp


Method:


Sift the flour and salt together 2 times. Ensure that all the rest of your ingredients are at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 180 deg C for 10 mins. Grease and line a 8 inch cake tin.


Cream butter and both sugars till light and fluffy. I know this is a very vague term, light and fluffy. I cream butter and sugar till it becomes a very light cream colour. And when you drop a small pearl sized ball in a bowl of water, it should float on top. That is when you know that it is "light and fluffy."


Add the eggs, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add the essence and beat until combined.


Now add the ground pecans. Next, add the flour and the milk alternately, starting and ending with the flour, until the batter is smooth.


Bake for 30 -35 mins, mine got done in 30 mins.



Caramelised Butter Frosting: (recipe from Shuna Fish Lydon)



for the caramel syrup (the original quantities are different, this is what I used)


sugar 12 tbsps
water 3 tbsps + 6 tbsps


In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush.

Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber. When color is achieved, very carefully pour in the 6 tbsps of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and prepared to step back.

Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}

For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.


for the frosting:


unsalted butter 12 tablespoons
Icing sugar, sifted, 453 gms
heavy cream 4-6 tbsps
vanilla extract 2 tsps
caramel syrup 2-4 tsps
kosher or sea salt to taste


Cook butter until brown.and pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool. I waited until the butter solidified again.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner's sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner's sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.

Cool the cake and top with the frosting.


Verdict:

First of all the frosting. Eversince I saw the November 2008 Daring Bakers Challenge, I knew I would make the cake and the frosting sometime. Nuts and caramel go well together and so I decided to pair the Pecan Butter Cake with this frosting.



And oh boy, was it delicious! The lovely flavour of the caramel blended so very nicely with the nutty flavour of the cake. It was absolutely awesome. And though several DBs had mentioned that the frosting was too sweet, since this cake per se is not very sweet, I didn't have any complaints on the sweetness. In fact, the next time I make this, I will most certainly slice the cake into two and sandwich them with the frosting.


And now the cake:


Singapore weather can be quite unforgiving. The hot and humid weather here leads to mold and fungus in almost everything, if not stored properly. So I end up putting a lot of things in the fridge.


The only problem with putting cakes into the fridge is that you can't eat it straight out of the fridge. You have to let it rest outside for about 10 mins before you can dig in. No problems there, unless you are like me who can't wait to eat the cake.


And this is where this cake scores. Thanks to the pecans, it stays soft and moist even when it is left in the fridge. Just grab a slice and eat!


Sending this cake to Bindiya's My Favourite Things Event - Love is in the air, Notyet100's Create with Luv for Luv and Let's Go Nuts: Walnuts and Pecans hosted here.