Pecan Pie Cake

By sybrmom

Ingredients

• Filling:
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 4 egg yolks
• 1-1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Cake:
• 3 cups finely chopped pecans, toasted, divided
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs,separated
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup dark corn syrup

Details

Servings 3

Preparation

Step 1

Filling:

Whisk together first 6 ingredients of filling recipe in a heavy 3-qt saucepan until smooth. Bring mixture to boil over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Place a sheet of wax paper directly on surface of mixture to prevent a film from forming and chill for 4 hours.

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Cake:
Prepare 3 9-inch round cake pans:
generously butter pans and sprinkle 2 cups of finely chopped toasted pecans to pans and shake to evenly coat bottoms and sides of pan

Beat 1/2 cup butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well until blended. add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla

Combine flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in 1 cup pecans.

Beat egg whites at medium speed until stiff peaks form; fold one-third of egg whites into batter. Gently fold in remaining beaten egg whites just until blended. Use immediately.

Spoon batter evenly in prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Invert layers onto wax paper-lined wire racks. Brush tops and sides of layers evenly with corn syrup and cool completely.

Place 1 cake layer, pecan side up, on a serving plate. Spread top with half of filling. Place second layer, pecan side up, on top; spread top of cake layer with remaining filling. Top with remaining layer, pecan side up. Garnish if desired with raspberries or fresh mint sprigs.