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Caramel Pear Pecan Cake Recipe

Caramel Pear Pecan Tall Cake

This caramel pear pecan tall cake tastes like southern pralines baked into a delicious cinnamon cake. Topped with caramel frosting and drizzled in more caramel, this cake will make everyone drool! Decorate it with pretty pink roses for a perfect Valentine's, Birthday or Baby Shower cake! Learn to make it at SweetiePieAndCupcakes.com!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 12 people
Course: Dessert, Party Food
Cuisine: American

Ingredients
  

Pear Pecan Cake
  • 2-3 ripe pears Peeled and Chopped
  • 1 Lemon for juice
  • 1 1/3 cup Flour
  • 1/2 cup Butter We use Kerrygold Salted Butter
  • 1/2 cup Pecans Chopped
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 cup Coconut Sugar You can use regular sugar
  • 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/2 cup Milk
  • 2 tbsp Sour Cream
  • 1 1/4 tsp Vanilla
  • 3/4 tsp Cinnamon
  • pinch Nutmeg
For Caramel
  • 1/2 cup Butter Salted or unsalted is fine
  • 3/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar Packed
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
  • Dash Milk to thin at end for drizzling on cake
Caramel Frosting
  • 1 cup Butter We use Kerrygold Salted Butter
  • 4 cups Confectioners' sugar
  • 2-4 tbsp Caramel Sauce from above
  • 1 tbsp Milk as needed
  • 1/4 cup Pecans Chopped

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the mini pans with nonstick spray and then flour the pans to coat.
  2. Peel the pears and chop them. Drizzle lemon juice on the slices and coat to keep them from browning.
To Make Caramel Sauce
  1. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan over low to medium heat.
    Butter and Sugar melting in sauce pan
  2. Add the 3/4 cup brown sugar and stir until bubbling. Add 1/2 tsp salt and stir another 30 seconds, then turn off heat and set aside.
To make the cake
  1. Sprinkle the chopped pears and about 1/2 cup of chopped pecans into the mini pans. Drizzle about 2-3 tablespoons of caramel sauce onto the tops of the pears and pecans. Do not coat the entire bottom of the pans with caramel. Leave caramel sauce aside to add into the frosting for later.
    Pears, Pecans and Caramel Sauce
  2. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg together and set aside.
  3. Beat 1/2 cup softened butter, coconut sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
  4. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
  5. Alternate as you add the flour and milk to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat a couple more minutes until smooth. Add the sour cream and mix until combined.
    Cake Batter
  6. Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop batter on top of the pear and pecans in the pans. Divide any remaining batter into each of the cake pans until all batter is divided. Use a spatula to spread the batter completely. With the pears, pecans, caramel sauce and batter, the pans should be about 1/2 full. The cake will bake up and out and fill out the pans.
  7. If using the mini pans, bake for about 30-35 minutes and check with a toothpick or knife by inserting into center. If batter comes out on knife, bake another 2-5 minutes. If using a larger cake pan, bake for 45-55 minutes. Cool for about 15 minutes. Run a knife along the edge to loosen the cake.
    Mini Cakes Baked
Make the Frosting
  1. To make the buttercream caramel frosting, beat the cup of butter for two minutes until softened and lighter in color.
  2. Slowly add the 4 cups of confectioner's sugar and mix until creamy and fluffy.
  3. Heat the caramel sauce and add a dash of milk and stir until the caramel sauce thins. Add only 2-3 tablespoons of the caramel sauce to the buttercream. (You will use the remaining sauce to decorate the top of the cake). Mix on medium speed until blended. Add more powdered sugar or milk to reach desired consistency.
    Caramel Buttercream Frosting
To decorate the cake
  1. Use a cake container tall enough to cover the cake. Spread a little frosting onto the bottom of the container (to keep the cake from moving).
  2. Use a spatula to loosen the first mini cake from the pan. Turn it upside down and set on top of the frosting. Scrape any remaining pears or pecans from the pan and set them on the cake top. Spread one to two scoop fulls of frosting onto the top of the cake layer. You don't need a lot, just enough to hold the cakes in place. Continue repeating with each layer.
    Setting up layers of the mini cakes
  3. Once the entire cake is built, start by spreading frosting on top. Then use a spatula to spread frosting onto the sides of the cake, continuing to turn the cake and scrape the frosting to smooth it out. Fill in any spots around the top edge and then smooth the top out to the edge.
    Frosting the cake
  4. Use 1/4 chopped pecans to sprinkle onto the frosting, all around the cake, you can use your hand to tap the pecans into the sides.
  5. Heat the caramel sauce on low and once thinned out, allow it to cool just a bit and then drizzle the sauce on top and along the edges. Cover the cake with the cake container lid and store on counter top. Keep fresh flowers in refrigerator until ready to decorate.
    Drizzle caramel sauce over the cake
  6. Decorate the top of the cake with pink flowers. Cut the roses leaving a 2-3 inch stem and stick the stems into the top of the cake. Arrange greenery and smaller white flowers into place. Decorate along bottom edge of cake with rose petals. Enjoy!!!

Notes

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