Butter Cake With Warm Butter Pecan Sauce
When I was growing up one of the things I remember about my grandmother is how she would always serve us ice cream when we visited. Often times she would serve it in these tiny, brown glass bowls that were shaped like an apple. There was a little handle that was in place of the stem. It had a slight indentation in the handle. I can still feel that cool, glassy feeling in my fingers. I looked forward to this. I even ate ice cream I didn’t particularly like at the time because I loved those bowls.
Periodically, I have had cravings for one particular ice cream she served that at the time I did not love but now is almost always on my mind: Butter Pecan. She only served the good stuff and at that time, the good stuff was Breyers. I have given in to that craving but it’s just not the same. I can still remember all of this like I am still 8 years old and now, 30 years later, it is on my mind once again.
I have these bowls. They live in my china cabinet and I never use them. I just like to see them there and know that a piece of my childhood is encapsulated in the feel of the glass, the sound of my spoon scooping up the ice cream and the sweet taste of this special treat.
This week, after a particularly hard day both professionally and personally, I decided to make a cake. Not just any cake, but one that took on the flavors of butter pecan ice cream. Withholding an icing, I opted for a warm butter pecan sauce instead.
The sauce makes quite a bit and once it had cooled I stored it in a jar in the refrigerator. I may or may not have been spotted sneaking bites whilst standing in the open doorway of the refrigerator…. It’s that good.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 C of all purpose flour
- 1 TB of Clabber Girl Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 C sugar
- 1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 TB vanilla
- 1 TB vegetable oil
- 1 1/4 C milk
- See below for sauce recipe
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Coat a bundt cake pan with butter and sprinkle with flour.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl.
- In another bowl blend butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time.
- Alternately blend in the dry ingredients and milk.
- Blend in vanilla.
- Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean, cake is pulling away from pan and is lightly browned.
- Butter Pecan Sauce:
- 3/4 C brown sugar
- 2 TB white sugar
- 4 tsp cornstarch
- 1 1/4 C heavy cream
- 3 TB unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 C chopped pecans
- Combine sugars, salt and cornstarch in small saucepan.
- Over medium heat whisk in the cream until smooth and lightly bubbling.
- Whisk in the butter.
- Allow to thicken about 2 minutes while stirring.
- Remove from heat and add pecans.
- Serve immediately or store in refrigerator.
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