Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1 pillsbury plus devil's food ake mix, pkg
1 1/4 cup water
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs
1 3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 pecans, whole, if desired
1 chocolate curls, if desired
Directions
Heat oven to 325 degrees. In small heavy saucepan, combine butter,
1/4 cup whipping cream and brown sugar. Cook over low heat, just
until butter is melted, stirring occasionally. Pour into 2 - 8 or 9"
round cake pans; sprinkle evenly with chopped pecans. In large bowl,
combine cake mix, water, oil and eggs at low speed until moistened;
beat 2 minutes at highest speed. Carefully, spoon batter over pecan
mixture. Bake @ 325 degrees 35 to 45 minutes or until cake springs
back when touched lightly in center. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from
pans. Cool completely. In small bowl, beat 1 3/4 cups whipping cream
until soft peaks form. Blend in powdered sugar and vanilla; beat
until stiff peaks form. To assemble cake, place 1 layer on serving
plate, praline side up. Spread with 1/2 of whipped cream. Top with
second layer, praline side up; spread top with remaining whipping
cream. Garnish with whole pecans and chocolate curls, if desired.
Store in refrigerator.
Servings: 12 servings
Chocolate Praline Layer Cake Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Cake; Candy; Chocolate; Chocolate Cake; Dessert
The History of Recipes
It is quite possible to follow the history of recipes back into the far past, at least as far back as the Egyptians, and quite possibly further than that. Interesting though that is, these, old cookbooks were just very basic hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing meals.
Interestingly, the oldest recipe discovered so far, according to historians is a series of ancient tablets in Sumerian which show the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who drank it feel `wonderful`. During Roman times 25BC a roman called Apicius compiled a collection of scripts describing recipes cooked by wealthy Romans. In his scrolls, he describes how the meals were separated into hors d`oeuvres, main meal and afters, a style of dining still practiced today. This early Roman chef recounts how the ancient chefs were skilled in the use of many spices and herbs, including some that we all recognise such as basil, rue and parsley. Later, in the 15th century, knights returning from the crusades brought back many foods, spices and herbs from Arab cuisine, including spices like parsley and basil. These new foods and tastes caused an explosion in manuscripts on cooking, many of which are now in private libraries. During the succeeding few centuries, the rich and powerful families of Europe competed with each other to serve the best banquets, and because of this the best chefs and their recipe collections were much in demand. However, it wasn`t until the 19th century that cooking and recipe collections rose to prominence. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, devoted much of their lives to collecting, testing, and writing down the recipes that were being prepared for the better households. By the time we get to the twentieth century, cookery publications are in high demand, due to higher levels of literacy, people having increased spare time and having more money. Like it or not, the introduction of TV brings us cooking programs and the spin-off recipe books. Which brings us neatly up to date and the invention of the internet, permitting us all to access massive numbers of recipes like the ones you can find on this site. |
We hope you enjoy this Chocolate Praline Layer Cake recipe.
