Shelly's Recipe

BOURBON PRALINE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Category: Cakes

For the Praline Layer:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups pecans, toasted

For the Cake:
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper and butter the paper. Wrap the outside of the pan with foil.

Make the praline layer: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar, corn syrup, kosher salt and vanilla. Spread in the prepared pan and scatter the pecans on top; set aside.

Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking soda, nutmeg and fine salt in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and bourbon in another bowl.

Beat the butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 10 minutes. With the mixer on low, beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with flour. Fold in the pecans.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool on a rack, 30 minutes. Remove the springform ring, invert the cake onto a plate and remove the paper. Serve with ice cream.