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Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,368
Registered: ‎07-17-2011

Epicurean, Thought I'd page you in case you don't check your "Looking for Cake Recipe" thread again. I think maybe I found it, pecans, caramel, cayenne, and all. Sure hope this is the one you were hoping for.

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I really liked the sound of this apple cake. . . with cayenne in it! As the recipe says, “Great for those who like a little heat with their sweet.”

Firecracker Apple Cake with Spiced Pecans and Caramel-Chile Glaze
from a restaurant called “Firefly Grill” in Nashville, TN (another Bon Appetit clipping)

Spiced Pecans
1 C pecan halves
1 lg. egg white, beaten until foamy
2 tbsp. (packed) brown sugar
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Cake
1 ½ C flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¾ C vegetable oil
¾ C (packed) brown sugar
¼ C sour cream
2 lg. eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 ¾ C apples, cored, peeled, cubed

Caramel-Chile glaze
2/3 C (packed) brown sugar
6 tbsp. half and half
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 lg. egg yolks
½ tsp. (generous) cayenne pepper

Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Pecans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Toss all ingredients in medium bowl to coat. Spread pecans in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake until dry, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Cake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour an 8- to 10-cup Bundt pan or tube pan. Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, ginger and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk oil, sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Add dry ingredients; fold together just until blended. Fold in apples and transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake cake until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Invert onto plate.

Caramel-Chile glaze: Stir all ingredients together in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until mixture coats back of spoon, about 4 minutes (do not boil). Spoon ½ C warm glaze over warm cake. Transfer remaining glaze to small pitcher. Cool cake completely.

To serve: place slices of cake on plates, drizzle some additional glaze over each slice, sprinkle with spiced pecans and serve with optional vanilla ice cream.