I am from Louisiana and sometimes I miss home! So baking and cooking has been my way of staying connected. I love pound cake and I LOVE pralines (or as it is also called, pecan candy). And since we have been mostly at home--i.e. working from home, virtual school, etc., I have been doing a lot of "stress baking." Anything from cookies, to brownies, rice krispy treats, whatever is in the pantry, I will make...spontaneously! I found this lovely recipe a few years ago online and since I got my KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer for Christmas a few years ago, I have been making it ever since for special occasions/holidays. It's an undertaking for sure, with lots of ingredients, but it's so worth it in the end--if you love buttery pound cake and sweet pralines ("pecan candy").
To start, Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Ingredients
Cake flour
Sugar
Baking powder
Salt
Canola oil
Unsalted butter (Room temp)
4 large eggs (Room temp)
8 ounces sour cream (Room temp)
Whole milk (Room temp)
12 ounces evaporated milk (Room temp)
6 ounces pecan halves (2/3 cup Chopped)
Vanilla extract
Almond extract
Butter extract
Directions
1. Sift 3 Cups Cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a medium sized bowl. Stir all ingredients together.
2. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment add 2 sticks unsalted butter (Room temp), 1/3 cup canola oil and 2 1/2 cups sugar. Mix on high speed for 4 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl to make sure batter is incorporated.
3. Start you mixer on medium speed. Add 4 large eggs (Room temp) one at a time. Mix until incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl to make sure batter is incorporated.
4. Add 2/3 Cup whole milk (Room temp), 2/3 cup sour cream (Room temp), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons butter extract and 1 teaspoon almond extract into a medium sized bowl. Stir all ingredients together with whisk until combined.
5. Add 1 Cup cake flour mixture and 1/2 cup milk and sour cream mixture. Mix on a medium speed until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
6. Add 1 Cup cake flour mixture and 1/2 cup milk and sour cream mixture. Mix on a medium speed until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
7. Add 1 Cup cake flour mixture and 1/3 cup milk and sour cream mixture. Mix on a medium speed until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
8. Coat bundt pan with Crisco and lightly flour. Add prepared cake batter into bundt pan. Spread batter around baking pan as evenly as possible. To make batter more even shake and tap pan slightly.
9. Place into a preheated 325 degree oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
10. Remove Pound cake out of oven. Toothpick inserted should come out clean. Let cake cool completely before flipping. For best results, let cake sit in baking pan covered overnight. Flavors will settle and increase.
Preheat fire to medium high heat.
Praline Topping 11. Add 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and 4 tablespoons unsalted butter. Let come to a simmer first then begin stirring continuously for 12 minutes.
12. Add 2/3 cup chopped pecans and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Stir continuously for 3 minutes. Turn fire off and continue to stir for 3 additional minutes.
13. Pour praline topping on top of pound cake. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.
And there you have it! Ca c'est Bon!
Credit to Charlie Andrews' website for inspiration https://www.charliethecookandrews.com/praline-pound-cake/