Pecan Pie Cake

Thanksgiving dinner always includes an array of delicious desserts.
Do you have trouble choosing between a slice of cake or a piece of pie?

This recipe will solve that dilemma for you...

Pecan Pie Cake!

This just may be the perfect Thanksgiving dessert.

This delicious recipe has the best of both cake and pie worlds...

moist pecan cake, caramel filling, toasted pecans and pie crust leaves.

The top and sides of each cake layer are studded with toasted pecans.

The layers are brushed with dark corn syrup to give it a yummy pecan pie taste.

Pecan pie filling is then spread between the layers

and the cake is garnished with pretty pie crust leaves.

I think I hear angels singing! 

Pecan Pie Cake

Adapted from Southern Living

6056733

Ingredients

Pecan Pie Filling

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pecan Pie Cake

• 3 cups finely chopped pecans, toasted
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 c. milk mixed with 1 T. vinegar)
• 1 cup dark corn syrup

Pie Crust Leaves

• 1 pre-made pie crust
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Pecan Pie Filling

In a 3 quart saucepan, whisk together first 6 ingredients until smooth. Whisk constantly while bringing mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla extract. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the mixture to prevent a film from forming and chill for 4 hours.

To chill quickly: Pour filling into a bowl and place the bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice. Whisk constantly until cooled (about 15 minutes).

Pecan Pie Cake

Toast the chopped pecans: Spread on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Generously butter three 8 or 9 inch round cake pans. Divide 2 cups pecans evenly into buttered pans; shake to coat bottoms and sides of pans.

In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add the sugar. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.

Whisk together flour and baking soda. Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in remaining 1 cup pecans.

Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter. Fold in remaining egg whites. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert layers onto wire racks with wax paper underneath. Brush the tops and sides of each layer with corn syrup, allow to cool completely.

Pie Crust Leaves

Roll out and smooth pie crust. Use a leaf shaped cookie cutter to cut out leaves and mark leaf veins with the tip of a knife. Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water; brush on pastry leaves.

To shape leaves: Crumple small aluminum foil pieces into 1/2-inch balls. Coat with vegetable cooking spray, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Drape a pastry leaf over each ball.

Bake at 425° for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Gently remove foil from leaves.

Assembling Cake: Place one cake layer, pecan side up, on your cake stand; spread half of Pecan Pie Filling on top. Place second cake layer, pecan side up, on top of filling; spread with remaining filling. Top with remaining cake layer, pecan side up. Arrange pie crust leaves on and around the cake, if desired.

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Happy Thanksgiving!
You wonderful readers are among the many blessings I have to be thankful for.

I hope your holiday is filled with family, food and fun!

I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake

Let me tell you about this Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake.

It is delicious!

It tastes just like pistachio pudding.

The recipe is easy!

It starts with a cake mix.

It is a crowd pleaser!

I have one very picky eater, who bravely took a bite of cake...

then proclaimed, "I love it!"

 The pistachio pudding in the cake and the cream cheese frosting
gives it a light green color and fabulous flavor.

Bake it in a bundt pan and top it with chopped pistachios,
and you have a perfect party cake!

Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake

by Bird On A Cake

6053726

Ingredients

Pistachio Pudding Cake

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 box (3.4 oz) pistachio instant pudding
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 box (3.4 oz) pistachio instant pudding
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup chopped pistachios (optional)

Instructions

Pistachio Pudding Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan. Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, then on medium speed 2 more minutes.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake 50-55 minutes, until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting

Let cream cheese and butter sit in a large mixing bowl until softened. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. In another bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and pistachio pudding mix. Gradually add the sugar mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Mix in the milk. Spread frosting over cooled cake and garnish with pistachios.

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Enjoy!

I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

Another yummy pudding cake recipe:
Butterscotch Bundt Cake

Tangled Family Halloween Costumes

No cake today, my friends...

I'm sharing our Tangled Family Halloween Costumes!

This is the seventh Halloween that my family has done themed costumes together.

It's a tradition and we have a lot of fun with them!

Our costumes are mostly homemade, with a few purchased props.

We chose the movie "Tangled" as our theme this year,

 mainly because our younger daughter LOVES Rapunzel.

(Did you see the Rapunzel Tower Cupcakes I made for her?)

She looks sweet, but watch out for that frying pan!

Our son was the dashing Flynn Rider.

Our older daughter was Ulf, the thug who likes to dress up as a mime.

I got to be the villian...Mother Gothel!

I did not enjoy the wig, but I love the dress!

My hubby was the hook-hand thug, who dreams of being a concert pianist.

You can see all of our characters in this video of the song "I Have A Dream".

It's SO funny...be prepared to laugh!

 Want to take a peek at our costumes from previous years?

Star Wars

Alice in Wonderland

My parents even joined in on the fun!

Dr. Seuss

 Toy Story 2

Steve Irwin & Crocodiles

The Incredibles

Happy Halloween!

Oreo Spiders Cake

Real, live spiders completely freak me out.
If I find one in my house, you will hear me scream...LOUD!!
Then you will hear me yelling for my husband to come get the spider.

But I am in love with these cute, googly-eyed Mini Oreo spiders!

When I saw these adorable arachnids over at Cookies & Cups,
I knew they would be perfect on my Oreo Cookies & Cream Cake.

 
Whether you think it's cute or creepy, this Oreo Spiders Cake would be fantastic for Halloween.
You can make this...it's really easy!

You will need Mini Oreo Cookies and frosting to make these spiders.
I piped the frosting eyes on my Oreos, but you could also use candy eyes.

Then I arranged them on the cake and made the legs with chocolate frosting.
You can use a piping bag with a small round tip or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off.

You can find my recipe for Oreo Cookies & Cream Cake here.
It's a vanilla sour cream cake, full of chunks of Oreo cookies
and topped with fluffy Oreo whipped cream frosting.
Delicious!!

Enjoy!

I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

Jack-O-Lantern Cupcake Toppers with Template

 

 

Need a fun and tasty Halloween treat for your little goblins?

These cute Jack-O-Lantern Cupcake Toppers are sure to be a hit!

They are made with candy melts (white chocolate), so they taste great too!

 What You Will Need:

Frosted cupcakes

Orange candy melts

Green candy melts

Black or brown candy melts

Piping bags fitted with small round tip (Wilton #2)

Right click on the template below, select "Save Image As", then print it.

Tape your template to a piece of cardboard or a cookie sheet.

Tape a piece of wax paper on top of it.

Fill a piping bag with black candy melts.

Pipe the eyes, nose and mouth of each Jack-O-Lantern on the wax paper.

Helpful Hint: Use a toothpick to push the candy melts into the corners

and clean up the edges.

Next, use orange candy melts to fill in the pumpkin outline.

Pipe a stem on top with green candy melts.

Don't worry if it looks messy, this is the back side!

When the toppers have hardened, carefully peel them off the wax paper and turn them over.

 Place each Jack-O-Lantern topper on the top of a frosted cupcake and enjoy! 

Happy Halloween!

 I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

 Another Halloween cupcake idea you might like...

Toothy Monster Cupcakes