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Praline Sheet Cake

Jennifer, Bake or Break

The flavor and crunch of southern pralines is the inspiration for this dense cake. The cake itself is a simple one, flavored with a generous helping of butter and plenty of brown sugar, while the sweet and nutty frosting imitates the candy perfectly. The frosting will set fairly quickly, so it’s best not to delay in getting it onto the cake once it’s ready so that it spreads easily.
20 min Prep Time
25 min Cook Time
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time: 25 min
  • Servings: 15 - 20 servings

Servings: 15 - 20 servings

Ingredients

  • For the cake:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • For the frosting:

  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Instructions

For the cake:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 15”x 10” jelly roll pan.

Step 2

In large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Step 3

Place butter and water in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir into flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

Step 4

Combine buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Add to cake mixture and mix just until combined.

Step 5

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a pick inserted into center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

For the frosting:

Step 6

Place brown sugar, butter, cream and salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Continue boiling for 2 minutes.

Step 7

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Add confectioners’ sugar and stir until thoroughly combined and smooth. Stir in pecans.

Step 8

Immediately spread frosting over top of cooled cake. Allow frosting to set about 20 minutes before serving.