Best Vanilla Pecan Sand Castle Recipes

Yellow Butter Cake for Vanilla-Pecan Sand Castle image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Yield Makes one 9-inch Square Cake

Number Of Ingredients 8

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) melted unsalted butter, plus more for pan
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self rising), plus more for dusting
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan. Line bottom with parchment paper; butter parchment. Dust pan with flour, and tap out excess. Sift cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Add eggs, milk, and vanilla to flour mixture. Mix on low speed until almost combined. Mix in the melted butter. Raise speed to medium. Mix until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Run a knife around edges to loosen. Invert, and unmold onto wire rack. Peel off parchment. Flip cake; let cool completely. If using cake for the Vanilla-Pecan Sand Castle, wrap cake in plastic, and refrigerate until cold, up to 2 days (or freeze up to 1 week).

Vanilla-Pecan Sand Castle image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Number Of Ingredients 4

5 1/2 pints good-quality vanilla ice cream
Yellow Butter Cake for Vanilla-Pecan Sand Castle
30 pecan shortbread cookies
40 pecan halves, for garnish (about 3 ounces)

Steps:

Mix 2 1/2 pints ice cream in an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Quickly spoon ice cream into a 5 1/2 cup (5 1/2-by-5-inch) sand-castle mold, filling completely. Smooth surface. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until set, at least 10 hours (or up to 3 days).
Trim domed top from the chilled yellow butter cake to make it level. Cut cake in half horizontally. Place the bottom layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Mix remaining ice cream with the electric mixer until smooth.Working quickly, spread about 2 1/2 cups ice cream over bottom layer; top with second layer. Spread remaining ice cream over top and sides of assembled cake. Chill in freezer until set, at least 4 hours (or overnight).
Process cookies to form fine crumbs. Mound crumbs on a serving platter, reserving 1/4 cup for garnish. Reserve 16 pecan halves for garnish; break remaining nuts into small pieces.
Transfer assembled square cake to the platter, centering it on top of the crumbs. Dip castle mold into a bowl of lukewarm water for about 15 seconds, being careful not to let water reach the rim. Pat mold dry. Remove plastic wrap; unmold ice cream castle onto the center of cake.
Working quickly, line edges of castle with pecan halves and pieces. Chill cake in freezer at least 1 hour (or up to 5). Just before serving, sprinkle reserved cookie crumbs over castle. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before cutting.