Chocolate Praline Cake

The secret to unmolding a perfect praline topping is to spray the bottom of the pan with vegetable oil, line with a round of parchment paper, then spray again. You can bake this cake with any brand of cake mix, but I will say it is amazing with my new chocolate cake mix. If you use Cake Mix Doctor chocolate cake mix, use 1 1/3 cups water. If you use a Duncan Hines brand, use 1 cup water. And if you use a Betty Crocker or Pillsbury with pudding in the mix, use 1 cup water and omit the instant pudding.

For the praline:

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
¼ cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup chopped pecans

For the cake:

1 package (18.25 to 26.2 ounces) chocolate cake mix
1 package (3.9 to 4.09) instant chocolate pudding mix
3 large eggs
1 to 1 1/3 cups water (see note above)
½ cup vegetable oil
Topping:
1¾ cups heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons, or to taste, confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon grated chocolate or miniature chocolate chips, if desired

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut 2 rounds of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of two 9-inch round layer pans. Spray the bottom of the pans with vegetable oil, place the parchment rounds in the pans, then spray the parchment with oil.
For the praline, place the butter, cream, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the butter has melted, 3 minutes. Divide the mixture between the two pans. Sprinkle the pecans over the top, dividing them between the two pans. Set the pans aside.
For the cake, place the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, and oil in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the mixer speed to medium and blend for 1½ minutes, or until the batter is smooth. Divide the batter between the two pans, pouring it over the pecans. Place the pans in the oven side by side.
Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 37 to 40 minutes for Anne’s cake mix and 35 to 37 minutes for Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, etc. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack to cool praline-side up. Remove the parchment rounds.
Meanwhile, prepare the whipped cream. Place the cream in a chilled large mixing bowl and beat on high speed until cream has thickened, 1 minute. Stop the machine and add the sugar. Beat the cream and sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more.
To assemble the cake, place on cooled layer on a cake stand, praline-side up. Spread with half of the whipped cream. Place the second layer on top of the first, and spread the top with the rest of the whipped cream. Garnish the top with grated chocolate or mini chips. Drape with plastic wrap and chill until serving time.

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The Books

Cupcakes From the Cake Mix Doctor

The cupcake is America’s darling. It’s celebrated in upscale bakeries, on Sex in the City, on the cover of Gourmet, and in thousands of classrooms—where every day, it seems, a parent has sent in a batch for the kids to share.

Anne's Cake Mix

Anne’s Old-Fashioned Yellow Cake Mix

Put on your favorite apron, plug in the mixer, and get ready to bake some memories. I've dreamed of creating a yellow cake mix that gets its color from butter and eggs, not artificial colors, and its scent from Madagascar vanilla.