Pumpkin Praline Torte

This cake can be sliced soon after preparing, but for best results, let it chill several hours.

Yield: 12 to 15 servings

Ingredients

• 3/4  cup  firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3  cup  butter
• 3  tablespoons  whipping cream
• 3/4  cup  chopped pecans
• 1 2/3  cups  granulated sugar
• 1  cup  vegetable oil
• 4  large eggs
• 1  (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin
• 1/4  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 2  teaspoons  pumpkin pie spice
• 1 3/4  cups  whipping cream
• 1/4  cup  powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1/4  cup  chopped pecans, toasted

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring constantly, or until sugar dissolves; pour evenly into 2 lightly greased 9-inch round cakepans. Sprinkle 3/4 cup pecans evenly over brown sugar mixture in pans.

Beat granulated sugar and oil at

medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended. Add pumpkin and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, beating just until blended.

Combine flour and next 4 ingredients; add to pumpkin mixture, beating just until blended. Spoon over pecans in pans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes. Carefully loosen cake from edges of pan (do not tear pecans from cake). Remove cake from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Beat 1 3/4 cups whipping cream at medium speed until frothy. Add powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla; beat at medium-high speed until soft peaks form.

Place 1 cake layer, praline side up, on a cake plate. Spread half of whipped cream over cake layer; top with remaining cake layer, praline side up. Spread remaining whipped cream over cake layer. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup toasted pecans. Cover and chill. Store in refrigerator.

Candyce Rector, Hixson, Tennessee, Southern Living Cook-Off Cookbook, Oxmoor House, JULY 2004