pecan praline

Ingredients

• the cake
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 to 4 tablespoons unsweeted cocoa
• 1 ounce red food coloring or up to 1/4 cup if you want a really red cake
• 1 teapoon salt if desired
• 1 teaspoon pure vanillla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teasppon baking powder
• The filling
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 egg yolks
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 2 tablespoon bourbon or rum
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.To make cake batter, cream shortening and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the egs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat 1 minute on medium speed.
3. Blend the cocoa and the red food coloring to make a paste, and add it and the salt to the creamed mixture. Blend the vanilla and the buttermilk. Alternately add the buttermilk and the flour to the creamed mixture, beating constantly. Blend the vinegar and baking soda and beat this in.
4. Meanwhile, butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Shake out the excess. Pour and scrape the cake batter into each pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes.
5. Remove the cake layers and let cool, on a rack, then turn out onto a rack ( I think he means turn it over on the rack so that the pan is upside down).
6. For the filling, combine the butter, sugar and egg yolks in a saucepan. Set the pan in a skillet of boiling water and beat with a wire whisk until thickened. Add the remaining ingredients and blend. Let cool. As the filling stands it will thicken more. Spread the filling between the cake layers and on the top and sides

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: Southern Cooking,Crig Claiborne's
Submitted By: Nicole Godby
ngodby@msn.com
pecan praline