Ingredients:
Small amount of vegetable shortening and flour for preparing pan
Topping:
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Glaze:
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Batter:
1½ cups cake flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
Tip: Use standard measuring cups and spoons or scales for accurate measuring.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare one 9 inch Bundt pan or fluted tube pan; generously grease the pan with shortening and dust with flour.
Topping:
- In a small mixing bowl, combine pecans, sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
Glaze:
- Combine Butter and chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over hot water; stir and heat just until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Tip: Create a double boiler by filling a saucepan with 2 inches of water and bringing it to a simmer. Place a stainless steel, ceramic, or glass bowl on top of the simmering water, the upper pan should not touch the water.
Batter:
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Tip: To cream, start by placing the butter in the bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed begin by beating the butter about 1 minute until it is smooth and light in color.
With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the sugar to the butter, either one tablespoon at a time, or in a very slow steady stream, taking from 4 to 8 minutes to add all of the sugar, and beating until the butter and sugar are fully incorporated and the mixture is a light, or pale yellow color, with a fluffy texture. While adding the sugar, stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the mixture off the paddle and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed. Add the vanilla along with the last egg.
Tip: For each egg, crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to thoroughly break up the egg before adding to the creamed mixture. Start with the mixer on low speed so the liquid from the egg doesn’t splatter, once the egg is partially mixed increase the speed to medium. Each egg should be fully incorporated into the mixture before adding the next egg, taking about one minute to blend in each egg.
- With the mixer on low speed, add about one third of the flour mixture, mix just until the flour is almost completely blended. Scrape the bowl down, and add about one half of the sour cream, blending just until mixed. Scrape the bowl down again and continue alternating with the flour mixture and sour cream, ending with the last portion of the flour, and stirring just until blended.
Assembly:
- Sprinkle a generous ¼ cup of the topping in the bottom of the pan, and then spoon half of the batter into the pan. Sprinkle a generous ¼ cup of the topping over the batter, and then drizzle with half of the glaze. Spoon remaining batter over the topping and then sprinkle the remaining topping on top.
Bake:
- Bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until a long toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes on a wire cooling rack, and then invert onto a cake plate. Drizzle remaining glaze over the warm cake.
Tip: Serve cake using a pretty cake plate and cake server for a delightful presentation.
TheBakingPan.com
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