Ingredients
- For the praline:
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
- 1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- For the cake:
- 1 package (18.25 to 26.2 ounces) chocolate cake mix
- 1 package (3.9 to 4.09) instant chocolate pudding mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1 to 1 1/3 cups water (see note above)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- Topping:
- 1 3/4 cups heavy (whipping) cream
- 2 tablespoons, or to taste, confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated chocolate or miniature chocolate chips, if desired
Preparation
Step 1
Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 2 rounds of parchment paper to fit in bottom of two 9-inch round layer pans. Spray bottom of pans with vegetable oil, place parchment rounds in pans, then spray parchment with oil.
For praline, place butter, cream, and brown sugar in small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until butter has melted, 3 minutes. Divide mixture between two pans. Sprinkle pecans over top, dividing them between two pans. Set pans aside.
For cake, place cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, and oil in large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase mixer speed to medium and blend for 1½ minutes, or until batter is smooth. Divide batter between two pans, pouring it over the pecans. Place pans in oven side by side.
Bake cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger. Run dinner knife around edge of each layer and invert each onto rack to cool praline-side up. Remove parchment rounds.
Meanwhile, prepare whipped cream. Place cream in chilled large mixing bowl and beat on high speed until cream has thickened, 1 minute. Stop machine and add sugar. Beat cream and sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more.
To assemble cake, place on cooled layer on cake stand, praline-side up. Spread with half of the whipped cream. Place second layer on top of first, and spread top with rest of whipped cream. Garnish top with grated chocolate or mini chips. Drape with plastic wrap and chill until serving time.