Best Walnut Praline Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes

MOTHER'S WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter, shortening and granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and vanilla. Beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in ground walnuts. , Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter. Add confectioners' sugar; mix well. Beat in vanilla until smooth. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with walnuts. Refrigerate.

HEAVENLY PRALINE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Add pecan halves; stir gently to coat. Combine sugar and brown sugar; add to pecan mixture and stir gently to coat., Spread into two greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake 18-22 minutes, stirring once. Cool. Store in an airtight container., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Stir in chopped pecans., Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 325° 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Remove from heat; stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Serve with candied pecans.

APPLE CAKE WITH MAPLE-WALNUT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Combine apples and water in small saucepan. Cover; simmer over medium-low heat until apples are tender, about 20 minutes. Place in processor; purée until smooth. Cool purée. Sift 2 1/2 cups flour and next 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Toss currants with remaining 1 tablespoon flour in small bowl to coat; mix in walnuts.
• Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, brandy and vanilla in large bowl until blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in half of flour mixture and 1 1/4 cups apple purée, then remaining flour mixture (re-serve any remaining puree for another use). Stir in currants and walnuts. Divide batter among prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes; turn out onto racks and cool.
• Make frosting:
• Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until blended. Beat in cream cheese, then maple syrup and flavoring. Chill until beginning to firm, about 20 minutes.
• Assemble cake:
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with second layer; spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with third layer. Spread 1 cup frosting in thin layer over cake. Chill 15 minutes. Spread remaining frosting over cake. Press 2 cups walnuts halfway up sides of cake. Chill until frosting is set, at least 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

MAPLE WALNUT PRALINES

Steps:

• Spread a sheet of waxed paper onto a flat working surface.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Slowly stream maple syrup into the saucepan while stirring with the butter; bring to a light simmer. Stir confectioners' sugar, cinnamon, and salt into syrup mixture with a whisk; cook and stir until the mixture is hot and the confectioners' sugar is completely dissolved into the liquid. Gently stir walnuts into the liquid just until coated and remove saucepan from heat. Let the mixture cool slightly.
• Drop walnut pieces by the spoonful onto the waxed paper and let each portion spread into a rounded mound; let cool completely until set, at least 30 minutes.

FRESH-FIG CAKE WITH HONEY CREAM-CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch cake pan (or two 9-inch pans), and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, baking soda and salt.
• Using an electric mixer, whisk to combine sugar and eggs until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Whisk in oil and buttermilk or yogurt to combine.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold dry ingredients into egg mixture just until combined. Fold in figs, jam and pecans.
• Scrape into prepared cake pan and bake until browned and springy to the touch, about 65 to 75 minutes (or 35 to 45 minutes for the 9-inch pans). If the top gets too dark before the cake is finished baking, cover it with foil. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• While cake is cooling, make the frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat butter, cream cheese and salt on low speed until smooth. Beat in honey and vanilla, then beat in confectioners' sugar.
• To assemble the cake, remove cooled cake from pan and peel off parchment paper. Slice cake in half horizontally, so you end up with 2 layers. (You don't need to do this for the 9-inch cakes.) Spread half the frosting between the layers, sandwiching it. Dollop remaining frosting in a thick layer on top of the cake, leaving a 1-inch border on the top of the cake, the sides, bare. Chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, top with sliced figs.