Pecan sponge cake:
1/2 c Pecan pieces
1/4 c All-purpose flour
8 Egg yolks, room temperature
1/4 c Sugar
6 Egg whites, room temperature
1/3 c Sugar
1/4 c Butter, melted
Syrup:
3/4 c Sugar
1/2 c Water
2 ts Praline liqueur
Pecan crust:
1 c Pecan pieces
1 c Pastry flour
1 c Butter, room temperature
1/2 c Light brown sugar; firmly p
-cked
1 Egg, room temperature
Praline panache:
1 c Whipping cream
12 oz Bittersweet or semi-sweet ch
-colate, coarsely chop
2 ts Praline liqueur
Buttercream:
1 3/4 c Butter, room temperature
1/4 c Powdered sugar, sifted
1 ts Solid vegetable shortening
2 ts Praline liqueur
1/2 c Egg whites
1 c Sugar
For cake: Preheat over to 375 degrees. Grease 9″ round cake pan; line
with parchment. Finely grind pecans with flour in food processor
using on/off turns. Using electric mixer, beat yolks with 1/4 cup
sugar until slowly dissolving ribbons form when beaters are lifted.
Using clean dry beaters, beat whites with 1/3 cup sugar until soft
peaks form. Fold half of whites into yolk mixture. Fold in pecans.
Fold in remaining whites. Fold 3/4 cup batter into butter. Fold back
into batter. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until cake is springy to
touch, about 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Invert cake onto
rack and cool completely. Wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
For Syrup: Cook sugar and water in heavy sauce pan until sugar
dissolves, swirling pan occasionally. Bring to boil. Cool. Stir in
liqueur. For Crust: Finely grind pecans with flour in processor.
Using electric mixer, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg. Gently fold in pecan mixture. Gather into ball. Wrap in
plastic. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter baking sheet. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to
thickness of 1/8″. Cut out one 9″ round. Using cactus or leaf shaped
cutter, cut out cookies from remaining dough. Transfer to prepared
sheet. Pierce round. Bake until golden, 20 minutes for round and 10
minutes for cookies. For Panache: Bring cream to boil in heavy
saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and stir until melted and
smooth. Blend in liqueur. Cool to room temperature. For Buttercream:
Using electric mixer, beat butter, powdered sugar, shortening and
liqueur until light and fluffy. Heat whites and sugar in double
boiler over gently simmering water until sugar dissolves and candy
thermometer registers 100 degrees. Remove from over water. Using
clean dry beaters, beat until whites are stiff but not dry. Blend
whites into butter mixture. To Assemble: Split cake into 3 layers.
Set pecan crust on platter. Using spatula, beat panache until
slightly thickened. Spread 1/4 onto crust. Top with 1 cake layer.
Brush with syrup. Cover with about 3/4 cup buttercream. Top with
second cake layer. Brush with syrup. Spread with 1/4 of panache. Top
with third layer. Brush with syrup. Spread with 1/4 of panache. Frost
top and sides of cake with remaining buttercream. Spoon remaining 1/4
of panache into pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe 12 rosettes
around edge of cake. Top each with cookie. Serve at room temperature.
Yields
10 Servings