Bourbon Pecan Praline Pound Cake
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 16 slices
Ingredients:
CAKE:
1 cup butter, unsalted
¼ cup solid vegetable shortening can sub butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
6 large eggs at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour sifted and measured correctly
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ cup buttermilk at room temperature
½ cup bourbon, any kind
1 and ½ cups pecans, finely chopped
GLAZE:
½ cup butter
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Have all refrigerated ingredients at room temperature before beginning. Grease a tube or bundt pan with shortening and add about ¼ cup sugar. Move the pan around and gently shake until the sugar coats the pan. Pour out any excess sugar. Preheat the oven to 325℉
CAKE:
Toast pecans in a skillet on the stove until fragrant. Cool.
Mix butter until smooth. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix until smooth and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing until the yolk is incorporated before adding the next egg.
Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
Combine vanilla and buttermilk.
Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
Add the bourbon and mix on low until just mixed in.
Fold in toasted pecans by hand.
Spoon batter into prepared tube pan.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 65 to 70 minutes. Test with a wooden pick. The cake is done with no crumbs or dry crumbs remaining on the pick.
Cool 20 minutes on a wire rack.
While the cake is cool, make the glaze.
GLAZE:
On medium-low heat, add butter, sugar, and water to a small pan. Heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved, but do not boil the mixture. When the sugar is dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the hot mixture over the cake (that’s still in the bundt pan). You can poke holes in the cake if desired, so the cake soaks up more of the glaze.
Allow the cake to sit 10 more minutes to absorb the glaze before inverting on a serving tray.
Serve warm or room temperature. It’s great with vanilla ice cream.
Store up to 5 days in an airtight container. It can be stored up to 9 days in the refrigerator.
Notes:
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Read the Bourbon Pecan Praline Pound Cake recipe through completely at least twice so you know what comes next.
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A stand mixer will make your life immensely easier. I can’t imagine all this mixing by hand or even with a hand mixer!
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You can use a bundt pan or a tube pan. I use a tube pan. A good rule of thumb when baking pound cakes is to always leave 2 inches from the batter to the top of the pan to allow for rise. Also, always place your baking pan on a cookie sheet to catch any overflows.
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Allow your eggs, butter, and dairy to come to room temperature before mixing.
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I also used pure vanilla extract. (Pure vanilla, not an imitation.)
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Finally, I recommend calibrating your oven at least once a year. Read all about How to Calibrate Your Oven in this post.
Bourbon Pecan Praline Pound Cake Substitutions:
To help the cake bake evenly, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature.
Don’t skip the step of toasting the pecans. It adds a deeper flavor.
Use a good quality bourbon, since you really can taste it in the final result.
Use real butter, not margarine, for the right texture and flavor.
You can swap buttermilk for sour cream if needed.
Toast the pecans first to bring out their flavor.
If you prefer no alcohol, replace bourbon with more buttermilk, apple juice, or leave it out entirely. As well, you can add one teaspoon of bourbon extract. (You’ll still need to replace the half cup of bourbon with buttermilk or apple juice if you use extract.)
Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake FAQ:
Can I make it without bourbon?
Yes, you can replace it with more buttermilk or apple juice and add one teaspoon of bourbon extract.
Do I need to toast the pecans?
Toasting is optional but adds more flavor.
How should I store Bourbon Pecan Praline Pound Cake?
Wrap tightly and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also refrigerate it for up to a week.
Can I freeze this pound cake?
Yes, freeze it whole or in individual slices. For the best texture, thaw frozen cake overnight in the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Nutritional Facts:
Calories: 546kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 290mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 720IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2mg
Recipe courtesy of Call Me PMc.com
