Kentucky Pecan Cake
Submitted by frunkle
Kentucky pecan cake with applesauce, cinnamon, and a full cup of chopped pecans, lightened with whipped egg whites and baked in a tube pan. A dense, spiced Southern cake dusted with powdered sugar.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
15 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsApplesauce keeps this pecan cake remarkably moist without any butter, and a full two and a half tablespoons of cinnamon means every bite is warmly spiced rather than faintly hinting at it.
The technique worth noting: the batter uses four separated eggs, with the yolks beaten in with the wet ingredients and the whites whipped to stiff peaks and folded in at the end. That step is what gives this dense, oil-based cake a slightly lighter crumb than you’d expect from the ingredient list. Use an ungreased tube pan, which gives the batter something to cling to as it rises.
Invert the pan to cool completely before removing. Dust with powdered sugar and serve. This is a fall baking project that rewards patience.
Baker’s Tips
- Egg whites must be at room temperature to whip to stiff peaks properly
- Fold, don’t stir, the whites in. Overmixing deflates them and you lose the lift they provide
- Bake the full 90 minutes. This is a large, dense cake that needs the time
Ingredients
Directions
Combine first 7 ingredients in order listed; beat at medium speed of mixer until smooth.
Stir in chopped pecans.
Beat egg whites (at room temperature) until stiff; fold into batter.
Pour mixture into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan.
Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Invert pan, and cool cake completely; remove from pan.
Sprinkle top of cake with powdered sugar.
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