Pecan Cake with Rum Frosting

Photo Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

I first baked this amazing Pecan cake two years back on Debarshi’s birthday. Back then I didn’t have the stand mixer or the cooling racks so there was a lot of manual labor involved. However, all those efforts sure paid off and the cake turned out awesome! This time I baked it for our 4th marriage anniversary and I made a couple of changes. Needless to say that this time the cake tasted even better. 

This recipe will make a dense cake, dense but flavorful and absolutely delectable. The original recipe says to bake a single layer cake with frosting on top, but this time I baked two layers by dividing the batter into two baking pans. This baked two even thin layers thus reducing the density. I also doubled the amount of frosting and spread half of the frosting between the two layers and spread the remaining frosting all over the cake. This helped infuse moisture in the layers thus making the cake even softer. Once you spread the top layer with frosting go nuts with the remaining pecans and decorate the cake as you like.

My first attempt at the Pecan Cake with Rum Frosting on Debarshi’s birthday (Cake says ‘Happy Birthday Dr. Debarshi’).

I think this cake has a unique flavor because of the Pecan and butter with the hint of Rum. You can taste the Pecan in every bite and if that is not enough for you then eat some mouthwatering frosting. This homemade sweet and buttery frosting makes you take another slice of the cake!

We have also used buttermilk for this cake which will not only balance the overall sweetness but also add another flavor profile in it. Since the cake uses a lot of pecans I would suggest you to ensure before serving that no one is allergic to it. Also, please use good quality pecans. Believe me good quality ingredients greatly improve the taste of the cake.  Remember you will be putting your time and effort in this cake so don’t skimp on small things. 

Prepare the cake whenever you want and enjoy it with your loved ones like I did. 

Ingredients for the Cake:

• All Purpose Flour – 1 ½ cups
• Light Brown Sugar – ½ cup
• White or Granulated Sugar – ½ cup
• Baking Soda – ½ teaspoon
• Baking Powder – 1 teaspoon
• Kosher Salt – ½ teaspoon
• Buttermilk – ¾ cup
• Egg – 3, Large 
• Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon
• Pecan – 1 cup
• Butter – 1 stick, unsalted, plus more for greasing the pan

Ingredients for the frosting and decoration:

• Butter - 1 stick, unsalted
• Pecan – 1 ½ cups
• Confectioners’ Sugar – 4 cups 
• Heavy Cream – 4 tablespoons 
• Dark Rum – 2 teaspoons
• Vanilla Extract – 1 teaspoon 

Others:

• Cake Pan – 2 pans of 8 inches each, either square or round
• Vegetable Oil Spray –optional (for greasing the pan)
• Parchment Paper 
• Spatula
• Cake Stand or a Heavy Big Plate
• Cooling Racks

Let’s do some prep:

• First we should do some preparations. So, half an hour prior baking the cake, take out the butter and eggs from the fridge and keep them on your kitchen counter. We are doing this to bring them to the room temperature. This will help them to mix evenly with the other ingredients and also prevent any over mixing of the batter. 
• Let’s cut the Parchment Paper. Place the Pan on the Parchment paper and draw a circle or square on the outer edge of the pan.
• Coat the cake pan with the Vegetable Oil spray or butter.
• Line the bottom with the Parchment paper and spray it again. 

Let’s bake the Cake:

• Take your food processor or chopper and finely grind/ chop the Pecans (1 cup).
• Sift all the dry products (All Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt) in a large bowl and mix the Pecans in it.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• If using a stand mixer, attach the whisk and beat the Butter (1 stick) with the Light Brown Sugar and White or Granulated Sugar until its light and fluffy about 5-6 minutes. 
• Beat in the eggs one by one. 
• Gradually add the Pecan mixture in the bowl and mix until just combined.
• Add the Buttermilk and the Vanilla Extract (1 teaspoon) and stir.
• Transfer the batter into the prepared pans and place in the oven.
• Bake until golden brown, about 20-22 minutes. I use a tooth pick to check if the center has been cooked. Very carefully insert the toothpick into the center and pull it out. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is ready, otherwise, cook for a couple more minutes and don’t forget to use the timer every time.
• Now whenever the toothpick comes out clean, it’s time to take out the cakes from the oven. I recommend slightly pulling the rack outside the oven so that we can get a better grip while holding the hot pans. 
• I usually wait for about 5-10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan (I run a short knife around the edges to release the cake) and invert it on the cooling rack. This ensures the cake does not have a soggy bottom.
• Peel the parchment paper.

Time to assemble the yummy Cake and decorate it with Frosting and Pecans:

• All right, do you have a cake stand? If no, then use a heavy big plate. If yes! Awesome!
• Touch the cake with your finger. If it’s still warm then you will have to wait, if it has cooled down then you are ready. Remember the frosting will melt away if the cake is warm.
• If you want to trim the cake this is the perfect time to do it. I didn’t do anything special for this cake. I wanted it to look homemade.
• Wash the whisk and the bowl of the stand mixer. Use a paper towel to dry it completely. 
• Beat the Butter (1 stick), Confectioners’ Sugar and the Heavy Cream until fluffy.
• Add the Dark Rum and the Vanilla Extract (1 teaspoon) and mix everything together.
• Your Frosting is ready, now pour a little less than half of the Frosting over the cake and pay special attention to those areas where you want to have an even shape. Spread it evenly with a spatula.
• Sprinkle a couple of chopped Pecans on top of it.
• Very carefully place the second layer of the cake on top of this frosted layer.
• Pour the remaining Frosting on it. Spread it evenly with the spatula over top and sides for an even coverage and to smooth the edges. I used a fork to draw some lines all over the frosting. 
• You may chop all the remaining Pecans and sprinkle on top of the cake or you can decorate with a few full pieces and chop a few, whatever you feel like doing.
• Cover the cake with the cake dome and place it in the fridge till you are ready to serve. 

Tips:

• You can grease the pans either with butter or canola oil.
• You can of course use artificial rum flavoring for the frosting or skip it altogether and just use the vanilla extract. You can find Rum flavoring in the baking aisle of any grocery store.

• While baking the cake, do not forget to start a timer and keep an eye on it.
• It’s important to keep a space all cleared out for transferring the hot pans from the oven. I usually transfer them on the kitchen counter.
• Do not skip the cooling rack step otherwise the cake bottom will become soggy.
• Kids love to bake or help you in small things. You can ask them to help you mix or spread the Frosting. Afterwards they can have the spatula with the bowl to lick and enjoy. However, you may not want to hand them over the frosting mix (if you are using Rum).
• Cover the cake with the cake dome whenever you are keeping it in the fridge. The dome prevents any mishaps and also blocks any unwanted smells.
• Remember that the baking time will change if you are changing the pan size. So keep an eye on it.
• It’s always better to break the egg in another bowl before adding it to the batter. Egg shells don’t taste very good in a yummy cake.
• Keep paper towels handy for an easier clean up.

Recommended Reading:

• Remember the characteristics of a good quality Cake
• Food Chopper and its Importance in Our Kitchen
• Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Chocolate Ganache
• Basic Kitchen Measurements
• Chocolate Coconut Cake (with Coconut Pastry Cream filling and Buttercream Frosting, topped with Chocolate Glaze and Toasted Shredded Coconut)
• Yummy Brownies
• Easy Pecan Pie
• Chocolate Sponge Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream (decorated with shaved chocolate and Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting)
• Black Forest Gateau
• Boozy Christmas Fruitcake
• Martha Stewart’s Classic Pound Cake