Eastern Harvest Pecan Cake with Maple Frosting

By SaraB

Ingredients

• Cake:
• Cooking Spray
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 10 Tbs butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• 1 cup fat-free buttermilk
• Frosting
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 2-1/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Details

Servings 16

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350.

Cake:
Coat two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and nuts.

Combine granulated sugar and butter in a bowl, beat with a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined.

Spoon batter into prepared pans; bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Invert onto racks, cool completely.

Frosting:
Combine 1/4 cup butter, brown sugar, and half and half in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes without stirring. Combine butter mixture, powdered sugar, and maple syrup in a mixing bowl; beat with mixer at high speed for 2 minutes. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over 1 cake layer; top with remaining cake layer. Drizzle with remaining frosting. Let cake stand until frosting is set.